• Box Score

GAFFNEY, S.C. (Feb. 27) – Three freshmen pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout on Sunday morning, as the No. 20 Vulcans earned a 6-0 win over Charleston (W.Va.) in the third day of the Saints Invitational hosted by Limestone (S.C.).

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves to 5-3 this season following a 3-2 mark at the weekend invitational. Meanwhile, Charleston drops to 1-7 overall after finishing with 34 wins last season.

Freshman starter Kaitlyn Schilling (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury) improved to 2-0 this year after limiting the Golden Eagles to just one hit in 4.2 innings with three strikeouts in the circle. Classmate Hope Spancake (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) tossed 2.0 scoreless inning of relief and fellow freshman Chelsea Carlson (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) registered the final out of the game.

With runners on second and third, freshman catcher Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ontario/Streetsville Secondary) gave the Vulcans a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with a RBI single. Cal U added to its lead in the fourth when senior designated player Danielle Easton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) scored on a throwing error by Charleston pitcher Stefanie Rossman. Following a scoreless fifth inning, Easton scored in the sixth on a RBI double by Wideman, 3-0.

The Vulcans sealed the game in the seventh, scoring three runs on four hits to take a 6-0 lead. Junior right fielder Alyson Johnson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) started the inning with a double and later scored on a double by junior left fielder Kristen McKenzie (Senneville, Quebec/St. Thomas). Easton followed with a RBI single before Wideman tallied her third RBI of the game on a double.

Wideman paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. McKenzie finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run to improve her team-leading batting average to .444 (12-for-27), while Easton scored three runs.

Rossman suffered the loss for the Golden Eagles after allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks in 6.0 innings of work.

Cal U returns to action with 10 games at the Rebel Spring Games from March 6-11 in Kissimmee, Fla.