• Box Score vs. Wheeling Jesuit
• Box Score vs. West Virginia State

SALEM, Va. (March 16) – Freshman Katie Natter (Baldwin, Pa./Baldwin) and senior Alyson Johnson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) combined for five homers on Friday to help lead the California University of Pennsylvania softball team to wins over Wheeling Jesuit and West Virginia State on the opening day of the Salem Invitational.

With the sweep, the Vulcans extended their winning streak to five games and improve to 12-3 overall. Cal U was among those receiving votes in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll.

Cal U opened the day by scoring a season-high 14 runs in just five innings to claim a 14-4 victory over Wheeling Jesuit. In the win, Natter went 3-for-5 with two homers, five RBI and three runs scored, while Johnson finished 2-for-3 with two homers, five RBI and two runs scored. Freshman right fielder Shelby Heyd (Innisfil, Ontario/Nantyr Shores Secondary) added a pair of hits and scored twice against the Cardinals.

After the Cardinals took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second, the Vulcans erupted for seven runs on six hits in the third, 7-3. With runners on first and second, sophomore second baseman Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ontario/Streetsville Secondary) collected an RBI double before Natter followed with a three-run homer. Senior third baseman Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic) then reached on a double before scoring on an RBI single by sophomore left fielder Stephani Ellis (Vancouver, British Columbia/Prince of Wales Secondary). Johnson followed with a two-run homer to increase the lead to 7-3.

The Vulcans benefited from an error on a sacrifice bunt in the fourth, scoring six runs (all unearned) to stretch the lead to 13-3. Natter collected an RBI single before Johnson belted a three-run homer, her fourth of the season and 33rd career. Cal U added to its lead later in the inning when sophomore Shelby Lia (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) posted a two-run homer, her third of the season.

Natter added a solo homer in the fifth before Wheeling Jesuit was unable to prevent the run-rule from going into effect by scoring only one run in the bottom of the inning, 14-4.

Sophomore starter Kaitlyn Schilling (Morrisville, Pa./Pennsbury) improved to 6-2 this season after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in 4.0 innings. Cardinals' starter Sydney Mencke suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits in just 2.1 innings.

In the second game of the day, the Vulcans posted a 4-2 victory against West Virginia State. Cal U was limited to only five hits, but benefited from four walks and two errors.

After the Yellow Jackets scored in the first, the Vulcans tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth with a solo homer by Natter. An outfielder from Baldwin, Natter now leads the team with eight homers and is only five shy of tying the single-season school record for a freshman set in 2009 by Johnson.

In the fifth, the Vulcans took a 3-1 lead after posting only two hits in the inning. With two outs and runners on the corners, freshman shortstop Breanna Morris (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) scored on an error before Russell lined an RBI single that scored Wideman from second.

Cal U added an insurance run in the seventh when Morris again scored on a two-out error before West Virginia State managed a solo homer by first baseman Alana Weyant in the bottom of the inning, 4-2.

Heyd collected two of the team's five hits in the win.

Sophomore Hope Spancake (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) won her sixth-straight start after allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Yellow Jackets' starter Sara Pelegreen was saddled with the loss after yielding three runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks in 4.2 innings.

Cal U resumes play at the Salem Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, March 17, when it faces Charleston (W.Va.) and Fairmont State, starting at 1 p.m.