• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

CALIFORNIA (April 3) – The Vulcans earned a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West victories on Sunday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader with Slippery Rock, 6-3, 5-1, at Lilly Field.

With the victories, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves its overall record to 19-7 with a perfect 4-0 mark in conference play. Slippery Rock drops to 16-4 on the season and losses its first two league games to slip to 4-2.

In Game 1, senior Maria Greco (Pickering, Ontario/Notre Dame Catholic) threw a complete game to pick up the win (4-3). In 7.0 innings (99 pitches), she allowed just three runs (all earned) while scattering eight hits and striking out six.

Cal U took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first. Senior right fielder Alyson Johnson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) reached on an error, which scored freshman second baseman Shelby Lia (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson), who also reached on an error. Senior first baseman Sarah Spiering (Upper Burrell, Pa./Burrell) then reached on a fielder's choice that drove in a run.

Slippery Rock answered back with three runs in the top of the second inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by first baseman Breanna Tongel, 3-2. Cal U tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the inning when senior third baseman Danielle Easton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) doubled and scored on a fielder's choice by Lia.

Cal U added a single run in the fourth on a Lia RBI single, and two runs in the fifth when Spiering belted a two-run homer (fifth of the season), 6-3.

Spiering was the only Vulcan with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Lia tallied two RBI.

The Rock starter Shauna Walker was tagged with the loss (6-3) after allowing six runs (two earned) and six hits with two strikeouts in 6.0 innings (98 pitches).

Freshman Kaitlyn Schilling (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury) earned the win in Game 2 (7-2), tossing a complete game five-hitter and allowing just one run (earned) while striking out four in 7.0 innings (107 pitches).

The Vulcans picked up a run in the bottom of the first, 1-0, when Johnson doubled home Lia. Cal U added another run in the third, 2-0, on a solo homer by junior shortstop Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic), her eighth of the season.

After scoring a run in the fifth, the Vulcans added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, 5-1. Junior left fielder Kristen McKenzie (Senneville, Quebec/St. Thomas) led off with a double, moved to third on a single by senior center fielder Merissa Daley (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) and scored on a ground out by Easton. Daley then scored on an RBI ground out by freshman Stephani Ellis (Vancouver, British Columbia/Prince of Wales Secondary).

Johnson finished Game 2 a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, including a pair of doubles, with two RBI, while Lia also collected a multi-hit game (2-for-4) and Easton, Ellis and Russell each contributed one RBI.

Slippery Rock starter Shaylee Ianno was saddled with her first loss of the season (10-1), allowing three runs (all earned) and five hits in 4.1 innings (52 pitches).

The Vulcans are scheduled to return to action tomorrow, Monday, April 4, for a PSAC West doubleheader in Erie, Pa., against Gannon at 2:30 p.m. Live stats will be available by clicking here.