• Box Score vs. Southwest Minnesota State
• Box Score vs. Northern Kentucky

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 9) – The No. 15 Vulcans suffered a pair of losses on Tuesday at the Rebel Spring Games, falling 5-4 to Southwest Minnesota State and 5-0 to Northern Kentucky.

With the two losses, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team drops to 3-5 this season.

Against Southwest Minnesota State, the trio of senior left fielder Kayleigh Braim (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus), sophomore catcher Alyson Johnson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) and sophomore shortstop Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic) each collected two hits and combined for six of the team's seven hits.

The Vulcans trailed 5-0 after five innings before scoring four runs in the top of the sixth to the cut the deficit to 5-4. After Russell started the inning with a single, Johnson belted a two-run homer to make it a 5-2 contest. With runners on second and third, junior third baseman Danielle Easton (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) scored on an illegal pitch by starter Cortney Heim before junior designated hitter Amanda Wallace (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) scored on a two-out RBI single by Braim.

Senior starter Lauren Shaheen (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) suffered the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits in 2.0 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Heim improved to 3-2 this season after yielding four runs (two earned) in 5.0 innings with three strikeouts.

In the nightcap, Cal U managed only one hit against Northern Kentucky hurler April Ehlers in the 5-0 loss.

The Norse took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before adding a pair of runs in the third on a two-out double. In the fourth inning, the Vulcans loaded the bases with two outs before the inning ended on a called third strike. Northern Kentucky added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth before Cal U broke up Ehlers' no-hitter with a single by senior left fielder Julie Mackenzie (Mississauga, Ontario/Meadowvale). The Vulcans managed to again the load the bases in the sixth before the inning ended with a strikeout.

Junior Maria Greco (Pickering, Ontario/Notre Dame Catholic) sustained her third loss of the season after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks in 5.0 innings with six strikeouts. Ehlers (4-4) issued three walks and registered nine strikeouts in a complete-game shutout.

The Vulcans return to action on Wednesday, March 10, when they face Minnesota State Mankato and Ferris State (Mich.).