• Box Score vs. Concord
• Box Score vs. UNC Pembroke

PEMBROKE, N.C. (Feb. 8) – The Vulcans scored a combined 15 runs on Friday at the UNC Pembroke Invitational, as they opened the season with a 9-7 victory over Concord and a 6-2 win against the host Braves.

With the victories, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team starts the year a 2-0 record. The Vulcans are scheduled to play five games at the three-day, season-opening tournament in North Carolina.

Against the Mountain Lions (2-3), freshman Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) earned the victory in relief and posted four RBI at the plate. She tossed 4.1 innings and recorded nine strikeouts while making her college debut, yielding three runs (all unearned) on five hits and no walks. Sagl, who started the game as the designated player, went 3-for-4 with a triple, solo homer, four RBI and two runs scored.

Cal U took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second with a two-run triple by Sagl and a RBI single by freshman Erica Vallecorsa (Latham, N.Y./Shaker). The Vulcans added three more runs in the third with three-straight RBI singles by junior Shelby Lia (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson), sophomore Breanna Morris (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) and Sagl, 6-0. Concord countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning after six-straight runners reached base safely before Sagl ended the inning with a strikeout of the first batter she faced.

The Vulcans added a run in the fourth before the Mountain Lions tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the inning. In the top of the fifth, Sagl broke the tie with a solo homer before junior Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ontario/Streetsville Secondary) scored in the sixth after opening the inning with a triple.

Freshman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) collected three hits in her college debut, while Lia finished 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Heyd also scored two runs while making her first career start at catcher.

Concord sophomore Lacey McDougall (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing nine runs (seven earned) on 13 hits while tossing a complete game.

Versus UNCP, Reicoff earned the complete-game victory while making her first appearance as a pitcher. She yielded two runs (both earned) in 7.0 innings and scattered seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts. At the plate, Reicoff went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and one run scored.

In the third, Cal U took a 2-0 lead after Reicoff collected a two-run double with two outs. The Vulcans manufactured a run in the fourth before the Braves trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth inning. Lia started the sixth with a leadoff homer (14th career) before Cal U added a pair of runs in the next inning on a double by junior Stephani Ellis (Vancouver, British Columbia/Prince of Wales Secondary).

Lia finished the game with two hits and two runs scored.

Braves starter Starr Gilley (2-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits and two walks in 5.0-plus innings.

The Vulcans continue play at the UNC Pembroke Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 9, when they face Concord and Fayetteville State (N.C.), starting at 2:30 p.m.