CALIFORNIA (May 15) – The top-seeded Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three NCAA Atlantic Super Regional on Friday afternoon with 3-2 win over second-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan at Lilley Field.

With the victory, the No. 21 California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves to 40-11 overall behind a 19-2 mark at home. The Vulcans have reached the 40-win mark for the first time since 2000 (44-15) and the fifth time under head coach Rick Bertagnolli. Meanwhile, the No. 21 Bobcats fall to 38-9 this season with two of their losses coming against the Vulcans (March 7).

The Vulcans jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind five singles. Sophomore right fielder Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and freshman shortstop Emily Price (Warren, Ohio/Howland) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Following a line-out, junior third baseman Natalya Smarra (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) reached on an infield single to load the bases before freshman center fielder Jacquelyn Fowler (Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing) and freshman designated player Hailey Wilson (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy) delivered back-to-back RBI singles. However, Cal U left the bases loaded following a strikeout and ground-out.

In the third, West Virginia Wesleyan cut the deficit to 2-1 on a solo homer by right fielder Morgan Bruce, her fifth of the year, with one out. The Bobcats then collected back-to-back hits before the next two batters were retired in order. The Vulcans answered in the bottom of the inning, manufacturing one run on two singles and a sacrifice bunt. Fowler reached on a single through the right side and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Wilson, as the Bobcats left third base uncovered on the bunt. Sophomore catcher Megan Jahoda (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) then collected a two-out RBI single down the left-field line, 3-1.

The Bobcats threatened in the fifth when Bruce reached on a one-out single and advanced to third on a ground-out before a pop-up ended the inning. After Cal U left two on in the bottom of the sixth, West Virginia Wesleyan opened the seventh with a homer by first baseman Krista Waggoner, her 10th of the year, to trim the deficit to 3-2. The next batter reached on a hit by pitch before being thrown out at second by Smarra on an attempted sacrifice bunt. The Bobcats then had runners on first and second following a fielding error before a pop-up and line-out ended the game.

Fowler paced the offensive effort by going 3-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI. Finley and Price each collected two hits and scored once at the top of the lineup. Cal U collected 11 hits, all singles, in the victory, but left nine runners on base.

Junior Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) improved to 26-4 this year after earning the complete-game victory and became the first pitcher since All-American Danielle Penner in 1998 to eclipse 25 wins in a season. She allowed two runs (both earned) on five hits with no walks over 7.0 innings (89 pitches) against West Virginia Wesleyan, which entered the weekend with the highest team batting average in NCAA Division II. Bobcat starter Hannah Vet (20-4) suffered the loss after yielding three runs (all earned) on 11 hits with no walks in 6.0 innings (99 pitches).

Cal U resumes the series with West Virginia Wesleyan at Lilley Field tomorrow, Saturday, May 16, at 2:30 p.m. If the Bobcats tie the series, the teams will play the deciding game at approximately 5 p.m. The winner of the NCAA Atlantic Super Regional will advance to the NCAA National Championships in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.