CALIFORNIA (March 22) – In their first action in 10 days, the No. 23 Vulcans opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action by claiming a doubleheader sweep over Slippery Rock at Lilley Field on Sunday afternoon, winning 7-5 and 4-3.

With the sweep, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves to 8-4 overall with a 2-0 mark in divisional play. The Vulcans also extended their winning streak in PSAC West play to 40 games with their last league loss coming on April 3, 2013. Meanwhile, Slippery Rock falls to 4-10 this season and 1-3 in PSAC West action.

In Game 1, the Vulcans mounted a five-run fifth inning and belted a pair of homers. Slippery Rock took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second before senior center fielder Shelby Heyd (Innisfil, Ontario/Nantyr Shores Secondary) lined a solo homer down the right-field line to lead off the bottom half of the inning. The Rock took advantage of a fielding error in the fifth by scoring three unearned runs with two outs to take a 5-1 lead.

Cal U answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning on three hits, two walks, one hit by pitch and two errors. With the bases loaded, senior shortstop Breanna Morris (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) lined an RBI single before Heyd drew a bases-loaded walk. Freshman second baseman Emily Price (Warren, Ohio/Howland) then cleared the bases with a three-run double and advanced to third on a throwing error.

Junior Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) improved to 2-2 this season after earning the complete-game victory, yielding five runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks in 7.0 innings (122 pitches). Slippery Rock sophomore Carly DeRose (2-5) suffered the loss after allowing three runs (all earned) on four hits and two walks in just 0.2 innings of relief.

Price finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Heyd posted a pair of RBI and runs scored in the victory. Sophomore right fielder Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) collected two hits and scored one run from the leadoff spot.

In Game 2, the Vulcans held a 4-1 lead entering the top of the seventh before the game ended with the game-tying run being thrown out at home. In the first, sophomore first baseman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) crushed a solo homer over the batting cages in left field. Cal U stretched the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third when Finley delivered an RBI double to right-center field.

Slippery Rock answered with an unearned run in the top of the fourth before Cal U left the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning. In the fifth, Finley reached on a hit by pitch to open the inning before Morris belted a two-run homer to straight-away center field. The Vulcans again left the bases loaded in the sixth before The Rock mounted a two-out, run-scoring rally in the seventh. Slippery Rock loaded the bases on a single and two walks before cutting the deficit to 4-2 on an RBI single through the middle. The Rock then followed with another RBI single to center field before pinch runner Paige Flore was thrown out at home after attempting to score from second.

Junior Meghan Uher (Acme, Pa./Connellsville) tossed a complete game in the victory to improve to 4-1 this season. She allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks over 7.0 innings (113 pitches). Harris (0-2) was saddled with the loss after yielding four runs (all earned) on seven hits and three walks in 6.0 innings (93 pitches).

Seven different players collected one hit in the nightcap.

Cal U continues PSAC West play on Tuesday, March 24, when it hosts Seton Hill at 2:30 p.m.