The Gannon University baseball team split a road doubleheader Friday with California (Pa.), winning the first game 1-0 and falling in the second 8-1.

The first game was a classic pitcher’s duel.

The game was scoreless until the final frame, when Gannon’s Jorge Mejia delivered an RBI single that scored Brandon Wetherholt, ending Vulcan pitcher Dylan Brosky’s shutout bid with one out in the seventh inning.

Wetherholt had walked with one out and advanced to second on a passed ball before coming home on Mejia’s base hit.

On the Gannon side of things, Knights’ southpaw Eric Sapp pitched a complete game shutout.

Sapp only allowed three hits and a walk while striking out seven Vulcans.

With that win Gannon improved to 9-3 and Sapp to 3-0. In the process, Sapp lowered his ERA to an impressive 2.63.

California fell to 13-4, while Brosky dropped to 3-2.

In the second game, fortunes turned the way of Cal U.

Gannon got off to a hot start in the second inning when Mejia hit a solo home run to left field, giving the Knights a 1-0 lead.

Gannon starting pitcher Jacob Visha was mirroring Sapp’s performance in the nightcap, as he blanked the Vulcans through five innings.

However, Visha could only record two outs in the sixth inning as he got roughed up for five runs in the frame.

Visha surrendered a pair of hits, and a sacrifice left runners at second and third with one out. After walking a batter, Visha struck out the next hitter and was one out away from escaping the jam.

But a bases-loaded walk tied the game and an RBI single gave Cal U a 2-1 lead and ended Visha’s outing.

Knights coach DJ Cannon brought Joseph Reitebach in to replace Visha and after he yielded an RBI single, Kevin Schott came on in relief. The first batter Schott faced – Jacob McCaskey — hit a three-run homer to put the game out of reach.

Cal U starter Devin Foster allowed one run on four hits through seven innings to improve to 4-0 on the season. Visha’s record dropped to 1-1.

The Knights and Vulcans were scheduled to meet in a doubleheader Saturday at Gannon, but those games were postponed.

In addition, a Tuesday matchup with Lake Erie was postponed.

Gannon’s next scheduled outing is a doubleheader at rival Mercyhurst Friday, with games slated for 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The two teams are also scheduled to meet in another twinbill Saturday at McConnell Family Stadium, with the first game starting at 1 p.m.

Gannon also is scheduled to host Cal U in a doubleheader Monday starting at 1 p.m.

TIMOTHY CORSO

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