• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score
• Photo Gallery
• William Christy Memorial Day Photos

CALIFORNIA (March 27) – Junior first baseman Amanda Wallace (Oakmont, Pa./Penn Hills) belted three homers and pitchers Maria Greco (Pickering, Ontario/Notre Dame Catholic) and Lauren Shaheen (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) each threw complete-game shutouts on Saturday, as the Vulcans posted a pair of run-rule victories, 12-0 and 9-0, versus Clarion at Lilly Filed.

After extending its win streak to six games, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team moves to 11-8 overall this year. Meanwhile, Clarion has lost six straight games to drop to 2-13 this season.

Wallace highlighted the offensive effort against the Golden Eagles, going 6-for-6 with three homers, seven RBI and four runs. Junior catcher Danielle Easton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) went 3-for-5 with a double, homer, five RBI and five runs, while sophomore shortstop Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic) belted her first career grand slam and finished the twinbill with four hits and four runs.

In Game 1, Greco (4-4) tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout, while fanning 10 and walking none. Shaheen followed with a three-hit, complete-game shutout in the nightcap to improve to 5-3 in the circle this season.

In the first game on Saturday, Wallace gave the Vulcans an early lead with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first. Cal U then expanded its lead to 4-0 in the first with a two-out RBI single by senior left fielder Kayleigh Braim (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus).

Wallace continued the offensive firepower in the second when she blasted a two-run homer to left field that scored Easton, who collected a RBI single earlier in the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Vulcans batted around for the second time in the game to take a 12-0 lead. Russell highlighted the inning with a grand slam before the final run of the frame scored on a fielder's choice.

Greco retired the first 13 batters of the game before losing the perfect game and no-hitter after the Golden Eagles collected back-to-back singles in the top of the fifth. After a sacrifice bunt, Clarion had runners on second and third before Greco registered her 10th strikeout to finish the run-rule game.

Wallace finished the game with five RBI on two hits, while Russell collected two hits, four RBI and two runs.

In the nightcap, Cal U again took a 4-0 lead in the first behind two-run doubles by Easton and junior second baseman Merissa Daley (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair). The Vulcans expanded their lead to 7-0 in the fourth with a RBI double by sophomore designated player Alyson Johnson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) and a two-run homer by Easton.

Wallace then forced the conclusion of the run-rule game with a two-out, two-run homer by Wallace (fifth of the season).

The Vulcans' Nos. 1-5 hitters combined to go 12-for-18 (.667) with seven RBI and nine runs in Game 2. Wallace went a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, while Easton was 2-for-3 with four RBI and three runs. Johnson, Russell and senior right fielder Julie Mackenzie (Mississauga, Ontario/Meadowvale) all posted multi-hit games.

Cal U is scheduled to return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 30, when it travels to face Slippery Rock for a doubleheader at 2:30 p.m.

Notes:
Saturday was commemorated as the first-ever Bill Christy Memorial Day, honoring the life of the long-time official ... Christy passed away in October 2009 and was one of the most recognizable officials in softball around Western Pennsylvania ... To honor his memory, there was only one umpire on the field for the first batter of Game 1.



03/27/10