CLERMONT, Fla. (March 7) – The Vulcans opened the season with victories over No. 23 West Virginia Wesleyan and Merrimack (Mass.) on Saturday afternoon while at the NTC Spring Games.
The California University of Pennsylvania softball team opened play with a 7-3 in-region victory over the Bobcats, who were the preseason favorite in the Mountain East Conference (MEC). The Vulcans then registered an 11-0 win over Merrimack of the Northeast-10 (NE-10) Conference.
West Virginia Wesleyan jumped out to a 2-0 through two innings before Cal U took its first lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the third. The Vulcans plated three runs on RBI singles from junior third baseman Natalya Smarra (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) and freshman second baseman Emily Price (Warren, Ohio/Howland).
In the fourth, sophomore catcher Megan Jahoda (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) led off with a double before advancing to third on a single by sophomore right fielder Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe). After a sacrifice bunt, senior shortstop Breanna Morris (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) delivered a two-run single to push the lead to 5-2. The Bobcats answered in the fifth with a solo homer by sophomore Brooklyn Waddell. Cal U then tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single by junior first baseman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley).
Finley was one of five players to post a multi-hit game, as she finished 3-for-4 with one run scored. Reicoff collected two hits and two RBI, while senior center fielder Shelby Heyd (Innisfil, Ontario/Nantyr Shores Secondary), Price and freshman designated player Hailey Wilson (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy) each totaled two hits.
Junior Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) earned the win by tossing 3.0 innings in relief, striking out three and yielding just one hit.
Against Merrimack (Mass.), Cal U took a 1-0 lead in the second before erupting for 10 runs over the final three innings. A two-run single from Reicoff and an RBI double by Morris pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fifth. The Vulcans then added three runs in the sixth on just one base hit, as they scored on a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk. In the seventh, senior Becca Reinhart (Shoemakersville, Pa./Reading Central Catholic) belted a solo homer to start a four-run inning by the Vulcans.
Morris finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI and freshman Jacquelyn Fowler (Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing) was 2-for-2 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Junior transfer Meghan Uher (Acme, Pa./Connellsville) earned the win after tossing 4.1 no-hit innings while striking out four.
The Vulcans look to continue play in the Sunshine State tomorrow, Sunday, March 8, when they face Indianapolis and Concordia-St. Paul.
