• Box Score vs. West Chester
• Box Score vs. Bloomsburg

QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (May 3) – Facing elimination, the Vulcans earned a 10-1 run-rule victory over West Chester and a 4-0 win against Bloomsburg on Friday afternoon in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament to advance to the league championship.

With the victories, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improve to 36-3 overall. The Vulcans have posted a 4-1 record in the double-elimination tournament and will face Kutztown for the conference title tomorrow, Saturday, May 4, at 12 p.m.

Against West Chester (34-19), Cal U belted a trio of two-run homers and freshman pitcher Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) limited the Golden Rams to only three hits. Sagl improved to 18-2 this season after yielding one run (unearned) and registered five strikeouts in 5.0 innings (80 pitches). West Chester starter Devon Utterback (20-9) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs (all earned) without recording an out.

The Vulcans jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first behind two-run homers by sophomore shortstop Breanna Morris (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) and sophomore center fielder Shelby Heyd (Innisfil, Ontario/Nantyr Shores Secondary). Junior second baseman Shelby Lia (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) opened the game with a walk and stole second before scoring on an RBI double by freshman first baseman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley). Morris then posted her 10th homer of the season, becoming the third player to reach double-digits homers this year – a first in program history. After Sagl later reached on a fielder's choice, Heyd belted her fourth homer of the season, 5-0.

West Chester took advantage of two errors in the bottom of the first to score its only run of the game. In the third, the Vulcans added a pair of runs when Morris scored from second on a throwing error and Heyd later lined an RBI single through the left side. Cal U forced the run-rule victory in the fifth with three-straight, two-out hits. Freshman third baseman Natalya Smarra (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) started the rally with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single by freshman left fielder Erica Vallecorsa (Latham, N.Y./Shaker), 9-1. Lia followed with her 13th homer of the year, which is only one shy of tying the single-season school record.

Heyd finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and Reicoff went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Lia and Morris posted two-run homers and scored twice in the victory.

Against Bloomsburg (30-17), freshman Haley Bashada (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) tossed a four-hit complete-game shutout. She posted four strikeouts over 7.0 innings (84 pitches) and forced the Huskies to leave eight runners on base, including four in scoring position. Bloomsburg senior Cait Paine (17-11) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings (84 pitches).

Cal U broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third by scoring three runs on four hits. Junior catcher Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ontario/Streetsville Secondary) opened the inning with a single and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and ground-out. Lia then delivered a two-out RBI single through the middle before Reicoff belted a two-run homer, her 12th of the season.

The Vulcans added to their lead in the fourth on just one single, 4-0. Heyd reached on a single through the middle and advanced to third on a fielding error before scoring on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt.

Reicoff finished 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the victory.

Cal U has advanced to the PSAC Championship for the first time since 2010 and is looking for the program's first league title since it won five-straight from 1996-2000. The Vulcans and Golden Bears split a doubleheader during the regular season in 2011 before Kutztown eliminated Cal U from the NCAA Tournament later that year.

PSAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 1
Game 1 - (C3) Bloomsburg d. (W3) Gannon, 7-1
Game 2 - (E3) West Chester d. (C1) Lock Haven, 4-1
Game 3 - (E2) Kutztown d. (W2) Mercyhurst, 4-1
Game 4 - (W1) California (Pa.) d. (C2) Mansfield, 6-2
Game 5 - (C3) Bloomsburg d. (E1) Shippensburg, 6-0
Game 6 - (W3) Gannon d. (C1) Lock Haven, 7-3 (Lock Haven eliminated)

Thursday, May 2
Game 7 - (E1) Shippensburg d. (C2) Mansfield, 4-2 (Mansfield eliminated)
Game 8 - (W3) Gannon d. (W2) Mercyhurst, 14-2 (Mercyhurst eliminated)
Game 9 - (E2) Kutztown d. (E3) West Chester, 11-3
Game 10 - (C3) Bloomsburg d. (W1) California (Pa.), 3-2
Game 11 - (E3) West Chester d. (E1) Shippensburg, 2-0 (Shippensburg eliminated) 
Game 12 - (W1) California (Pa.) d. (W3) Gannon, 4-1 (Gannon eliminated)

Friday, May 3
Game 13 - (E2) Kutztown d. (C3) Bloomsburg, 3-2 (8 innings)
Game 14 - (W1) California (Pa.) d. (E3) West Chester, 10-1 (5 innings) (West Chester eliminated)
Game 15 - (W1) California (Pa.) d. (C3) Bloomsburg, 4-0 (Bloomsburg elimiated)

Saturday, May 4
Game 16 - (E2) Kutztown vs. (W1) California (Pa.), 12 p.m.
 * If necessary, Game 17 with be played directly after