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

CALIFORNIA (May 11) – Senior designated player Stephani Ellis (Vancouver, British Columbia/Prince of Wales Secondary) delivered a walk-off, three-run homer in a 5-2 win over fifth-seeded Bloomsburg on Sunday before the top-seeded Vulcans were later eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 loss to fourth-seeded West Chester.

With the split, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team finishes the season with a 37-7 overall record. The Vulcans captured their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships since 2000 and tallied their first undefeated season in divisional play since 1998.

Against Bloomsburg (28-19), Cal U tied the game in the bottom of the sixth before claiming its third walk-off victory of the post-season in the seventh on the homer by Ellis. Senior catcher Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ontario/Streetsville Secondary) finished 2-for-4 with one run scored to extend her hitting streak to 22 games and senior second baseman Shelby Lia (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson) tallied a pair of hits and one RBI in the victory.

The Huskies opened the second with back-to-back hits before sophomore pitcher Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) retired the next three batters in order and prevented a ball from leaving the infield. In the third, Wideman led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before Lia delivered an RBI double with two outs.

Bloomsburg tied the score in the top of the fourth before claiming a 2-1 lead in the fifth with back-to-back, two-out hits. After leaving two runners on base in the bottom of the inning, the Vulcans tied the score in the sixth with a solo homer by junior center fielder Shelby Heyd (Innisfil, Ontario/Nantyr Shores Secondary), her sixth of the year.

Sagl, the two-time PSAC West Pitcher of the Year, retired the Huskies in order in the top of the seventh before the Vulcans earned the victory in the bottom of the inning. After a fly-out to start the inning, sophomore first baseman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) and junior shortstop Breanna Morris (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) collected back-to-back singles. Lia then lined the first pitch of her at-bat over the left-field wall for what appeared to be a walk-off homer, however, Bloomsburg outfielder Hannah Moir reached over the fence and caught the ball for the second out of the inning. Ellis, who struck out in her first three at-bats of the game, followed with a three-run, walk-off homer, her seventh of the season, over the right-center field wall on a 3-1 count.

Sagl earned the complete-game victory after allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits and recorded seven strikeouts in 7.0 innings (92 pitches). She became the first pitcher since Danielle Penner in 1998 to compile at least 25 wins in a season. Bloomsburg starter Taylor Parker (14-10), the PSAC East Freshman of the Year, suffered the loss after yielding five runs (all earned) on nine hits and two walks in 6.2 innings (125 pitches).

Against West Chester (39-13), Cal U was shutout for the second time this season and limited to only two hits. Sagl (25-4) was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) and scattering four hits over 6.2 innings (94 pitches). Golden Rams senior Kim Murl (21-9) tossed the two-hit, complete-game shutout while facing just three over the minimum in 7.0 innings (84 pitches).

West Chester took a 1-0 lead when catcher Erin Quense led off the top of the third with a solo homer. The Golden Rams looked to add to their lead in fourth with a leadoff single and the runner advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches before a strikeout ended the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Cal U advanced a runner into scoring position for the first – and last time – in the game before a fielder's choice and fly-out ended the inning.

In the top of the fifth, the Golden Rams added an insurance run with another solo homer by Quense. West Chester had a runner on third later in the inning before freshman Kaity Davis (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) induced a ground-out to end the inning. The first two batters for West Chester reached base in the sixth before Sagl reentered the game and forced West Chester to leave both runners in scoring position.

Wideman, the PSAC West Athlete of the Year, was held without a hit for the first time since April 12 and finished her career with 200 hits, becoming the first player with at least 200 hits since Jillian Russell (2009-12).

The Vulcans have now been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by the Golden Rams in each of the last two years, both at Lilley Field.

West Chester will now face West Virginia Wesleyan next weekend in the NCAA Super Regionals, which is a best-of-three series, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Championships in Salem, Va.

SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Friday, May 9
Game 1 - (1) California (Pa.) d. (8) Winston-Salem State, 9-0 (6 innings)
Game 2 - (4) West Chester d. (5) Bloomsburg, 1-0

Saturday, May 10
Game 3 - (4) West Chester d. California (Pa.), 6-3
Game 4 - (5) Bloomsburg d. (8) Winston-Salem State, 10-5 (Winston-Salem State eliminated)

Sunday, May 11
Game 5 - (1) California (Pa.) d. (5) Bloomsburg, 5-2 (Bloomsburg eliminated)
Game 6 - (4) West Chester d. (1) California (Pa.), 2-0 (California (Pa.) eliminated)