• Box Score vs. Concordia-St. Paul
• Box Score vs. Fayetteville State

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 6) – The California University of Pennsylvania softball team opened play at the Rebel Spring Games with a pair of victories on Sunday, posting a 7-3 win against Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) before claiming a 13-0 shutout versus Fayetteville State (N.C.).

With the wins, the Vulcans improve to 7-3 overall this season.

Against Concordia-St. Paul (7-3), Cal U held a 4-0 lead after four innings before sealing the victory with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Junior shortstop Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic) went 3-for-4 with three RBI against the Golden Bears, while junior left fielder Kristen McKenzie (Senneville, Quebec/St. Thomas) finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Senior center fielder Merissa Daley (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) collected a pair of singles and scored two runs in the victory.

Freshman Hope Spancake (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) earned the win to improve to 3-2 this season. She worked the first 6.2 innings and reentered after the Golden Bears scored two runs to record the final out of the game. Spancake allowed one run on four hits and posted seven strikeouts on Sunday.

The Vulcans took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with RBI singles by McKenzie and junior designated player Alyson Johnson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central). Russell added to the lead in the second with a RBI double before collecting a RBI single in the fourth inning, 4-0.

Cal U then plated three unearned runs in the sixth to expand the lead to 7-0 on three walks, two singles and an error. Russell and McKenzie each recorded a RBI single in the inning after freshman Paige Onuska (Midland, Pa./Beaver) scored on a sacrifice fly. The Golden Bears answered with a run in the sixth before adding two unearned runs off reliever Chelsea Carlson (Stow, Ohio/Stow-Munroe Falls) in the top of the seventh.

The Vulcans' offense then established season highs with 13 runs and 16 hits in the nightcap against Fayetteville State (5-9). Every Cal U starter collected a hit against the Broncos with five players posting multi-hit games. McKenzie finished with three singles and two runs, while freshman second baseman Shelby Lia (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) tallied a pair of triples and three RBI.

Freshman Kaitlyn Schilling (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury), last week's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Pitcher of the Week, and redshirt freshman Brenna Hosey (Johnstown, Ohio/Johnstown) combined for the one-hit, complete-game shutout. Schilling yielded just one hit and three walks in 4.2 innings against Fayetteville State.

After a scoreless first, Cal U scored three runs in the top of the second before adding a run in the third to take a 4-0 lead. The Vulcans then sent 13 hitters to the plate in the fourth, scoring nine runs on nine hits and an error. After a leadoff triple by freshman right fielder Holly Pefferman (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler), Daley followed with a single before scoring on a triple by Lia, who then scored on a passed ball. Cal U loaded the bases with singles before senior third baseman Danielle Easton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) and sophomore pinch hitter Kaley Cashner (Canton, Ohio/Glenoak) delivered back-to-back RBI singles. After an error allowed another run to score, Lia capped the rally with her second triple of the inning scoring two runs, 13-0.

Cal U returns to the diamond tomorrow, Monday, March 7, when it faces No. 24 Lewis (Ill.) and Minnesota State Mankato at the Rebel Spring Games.