CALIFORNIA (March 30) – The No. 22 California University of Pennsylvania softball team swept a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West doubleheader at Lilley Field with a pair of run-rule victories over Edinboro, winning 9-0 in six innings and 11-2 in five innings, on Tuesday afternoon.
With the sweep, the Vulcans improve to 11-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots fall to 8-6 overall behind an 0-4 mark in league action.
In Game 1, the Vulcans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Freshman left fielder
Jacquelyn Fowler (Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing) was hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman shortstop
Emily Price (Warren, Ohio/Howland). Fowler then scored on a double by junior first baseman
Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) before senior center fielder
Shelby Heyd (Innisfil, Ontario/Nantyr Shores Secondary) delivered a two-run double to left center two batters later.
In the fourth, Fowler added an RBI double that scored sophomore right fielder
Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) to push the lead to 4-0 before Heyd hit a homer to left-center in the fifth that pushed the lead to 5-0. Reicoff forced the run-rule victory in the bottom of the sixth with a grand slam to left center.
Reicoff paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored, while Heyd went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Junior pitcher
Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) earned the win by tossing a one-hit, complete game shutout. She struck out eight and issued no walks over 7.0 innings (78 pitches). Fighting Scots sophomore Kalet Lenart suffered the loss after allowing nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits in 5.2 innings (95 pitches).
In Game 2, the Vulcans trailed 2-1 before taking a 3-2 lead on two-run double by senior designated player
Becca Reinhart (Shoemakersville, Pa./Reading Central Catholic) in the bottom of the bottom of the third. Cal U extended its lead to 6-2 in the fourth on a two-run homer by Price and a solo longball by Reicoff. The Vulcans earned a run-rule victory by tacking on five runs in the bottom of the fifth on home runs by Reinhart, Fowler and Reicoff.
Fowler finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Reicoff was 2-for-2 - both homers - with three RBI and two walks. Reinhart went 2-for-2 with three RBI while making her second start of the year.
Sagl picked up the win in relief to improve to 5-2 this season after tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Edinboro starter Abby Sotter suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits and four walks over 4.0-plus innings (84 pitches).
Cal U continues PSAC West play tomorrow, March 31 when it hosts Mercyhurst in a doubleheader at Lilley Field, starting at 2:30 p.m.
