• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

CALIFORNIA (April 24) – The No. 20 Vulcans advanced to the second weekend of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament after splitting two games against IUP in the second-round of the double-elimination tournament on Saturday afternoon at Lilly Field, losing 14-9 and winning 4-0.

With the split, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves to 33-10 this season with a 15-1 mark at home. Cal U will face division winners West Chester (PSAC East) and No. 6 Bloomsburg (PSAC Central) in next weekend's double-elimination tournament, which will be hosted at Jan M. Hutchinson Field in Bloomsburg, Pa. The Vulcans will face the Golden Rams on Friday, April 30, at 11 a.m. before facing the Huskies. Meanwhile, IUP was eliminated from the conference tournament despite a record of 35-10.

In the fifth and deciding game at Lilly Field, the score was scoreless through six innings before the Vulcans plated four runs on four hits in the top of the seventh. Junior first baseman Julia Mueller (Bairdford, Pa./Deer Lakes) opened the inning with a walk before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and a single by second baseman Merissa Daley (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair). With runners on the corners, junior third baseman Danielle Easton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) delivered a three-run homer (seventh of the season) to give Cal U a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, junior right fielder Amanda Wallace (Oakmont, Pa./Penn Hills) lined a two-out RBI single that plated sophomore shortstop Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic) from second.

IUP appeared to mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh, as it opened the inning with a double before junior Maria Greco (Pickering, Ontario/Notre Dame Catholic) retired the next three batters in order to preserve the shutout.

The Crimson Hawks nearly took the lead in the sixth, however, Daley, who was playing center field for one batter, threw out a runner at the plate after they attempted to score from second base on a single.

Greco improved to 13-5 this season after tossing a three-hit, complete-game shutout with one walk and seven strikeouts. IUP starter Erin Holloway (25-6) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (all earned) on 10 hits and four walks in 7.0 innings of work, while fanning 10.

Easton finished the game, going 3-for-3 with three RBI and one run scored. Daley and Russell both collected two hits and scored one run in the victory.

In the first game on Saturday, the Crimson Hawks scored six runs (all unearned) in the top of the seventh to earn a 14-9 comeback victory and force the deciding game at Lilly Field.

The Vulcans took an early 4-0 lead in the first after back-to-back, two-run doubles by sophomore catcher Alyson Johnson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) and senior center fielder Julie Mackenzie (Mississauga, Ontario/Meadowvale). After scoring two runs in the second, IUP took a 5-4 lead in the top of third before Cal U evened the score in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single by Russell.

IUP regained the lead on a three-run homer in the fifth before Cal U answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth on a three-run longball by Mackenzie (fourth of the season) to force an 8-8 tie. The Crimson Hawks then scored six runs in the seventh following a two-out error by the Vulcans, who scored a run in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out RBI single by Johnson.

Senior Lauren Shaheen (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) was saddled with the loss after allowing 10 runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks in 3.2 inning of relief. Holloway tossed a complete-game victory despite yielding nine runs (eight earned) on 15 hits.

Mackenzie finished the game going 3-for-5 with a double, homer, five RBI and one run. Johnson went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored, while Easton was 3-for-3 with a double and two runs. Daley also added three singles and scored two runs.