• Box Score

SALEM, Va. (March 15) – Behind a shutout by freshman Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) and a two-run homer by classmate Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley), the No. 16 Vulcans opened the Salem Invitational with a 2-0 victory against West Virginia State on Friday evening.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves to 12-0 overall while seeing its first action in nearly three weeks. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets fall to 6-3 overall after losing three of their last four games.

Sagl improves to 6-0 this season after scattering just three hits over 7.0 shutout innings. She issued no walks and registered five strikeouts and now boasts a 7:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (42-7). Sagl now leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with a 0.73 ERA and 38.1 innings pitched this season.

West Virginia State had the leadoff batter reach base in both the first and second innings before Sagl worked out of both situations without allowing the runner to advance past second base. The Vulcans collected their first hit in the fourth on a leadoff single by junior catcher Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ontario/Streetsville Secondary), who advanced to second on as sacrifice bunt; however, the next two batters were retired and the game remained scoreless.

Both teams left a base runner in the fifth before Cal U broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore center fielder Shelby Heyd (Innisfil, Ontario/Nantyr Shores Secondary) reached on a two-out single and Reicoff followed with a two-run homer, her third of the season. The Yellow Jackets collected a two-out single in the seventh before Sagl induced a fly-out to seal the victory.

West Virginia State senior Kelsey Lorraine suffered the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) on three hits while posting six strikeouts in 6.0 innings.

The Vulcans return to the diamond tomorrow, Saturday, March 16, when they face Salem International and Fairmont State at the weekend invitational.