QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (May 2) – The Vulcans repeated as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament Champions on Saturday afternoon by posting a win over West Chester and two victories against Gannon, all while facing elimination.

With the victories, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves to 35-10 overall and claimed the eighth league title in program history, which is the second-most in PSAC history. The Vulcans, who last repeated with five-consecutive league titles from 1996-2000, also earned the automatic qualifier (AQ) from the conference to the NCAA Tournament. Cal U, which was the second seed in the latest NCAA Atlantic regional rankings, will learn its seed for the NCAA Tournament on Monday, May 4, as the NCAA Selection Show will stream on NCAA.com at 10 a.m..

Junior pitcher Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) was named the PSAC Tournament MVP after posting a 5-0 record and one save in six appearances. She led all pitchers at the weekend tournament with a 0.38 ERA, 36.2 innings pitched, 46 strikeouts and a .141 opponents' batting average. Sagl tossed a complete game in each of her five starts, including three shutouts, and finished with a 5.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The three-time PSAC West Pitcher of the Year improves to 21-4 this year to become the first Cal U pitcher since former All-American Danielle Penner to record three-consecutive seasons with at least 20 victories.

The Vulcans opened play on Saturday with a 6-0 victory against West Chester, as Sagl tossed a two-hit, complete-game shutout. She nearly matched her career high with 14 strikeouts over 7.0 innings (115 pitches) and allowed just nine hitters to put a ball in play. Golden Rams starter Amanda Houck (19-6) suffered the loss after yielding five runs (all earned) on four hits and four walks in 3.2 innings (93 pitches).

In the top of the second, Cal U took a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by sophomore Megan Jahoda (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and freshman left fielder Courtney Sinclair (Oil City, Ontario/Lambton Central). The Golden Rams collected their first hit of the game in the top of the fourth before the Vulcans loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back walks and a single. Following a pitching change, freshman shortstop Emily Price (Warren, Ohio/Howland) delivered a grand slam, her seventh homer of the year, to stretch the lead to 6-0. Sagl surrendered the lone extra-base hit for West Chester with two outs in the fifth before retiring seven of the final eight batters to seal the win.

Price finished 2-for-5 with a grand slam and sophomore right fielder Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) went 2-for-5 with one run scored.

The Vulcans then rallied to claim an 8-5 victory after a seven-run sixth inning against Gannon, who entered Saturday with an unblemished record at the double-elimination tournament. Finley and Price both finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored at the top of the lineup, while freshman designated player Hailey Wilson (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy) went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.

The Lady Knights took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with a bases-loaded walk before the Vulcans left runners on second and third in the third inning. Gannon added to its lead in the fifth by scoring three runs on three hits and one walk.

In the sixth, Cal U responded by scoring six runs behind seven singles, one double and two errors. Price and junior first baseman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) opened the inning with back-to-back singles before both scored on an RBI double by freshman center fielder Jacquelyn Fowler (Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing). Sinclair later delivered a two-out RBI single with the bases loaded before Gannon made a pitching change. Finley followed with an RBI single and junior second baseman Erica Vallecorsa (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) also scored on a fielding error during the play. Price then lined an RBI single to right field and Finley also scored on the play after a throwing error.

The Lady Knights answered with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the inning before catcher Katie Dunn was thrown out at home after attempting to score from first to end the inning. Cal U added an insurance run in the seventh with a solo homer by Wilson, her second of the year.

Junior Haley Bashada (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon), who started the game and reentered in the fifth, earned the win to improve to 3-1 this season. She allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and five walks in a combined 3.1 innings of work (77 pitches). Sagl registered her fifth save of the year after tossing the final 1.2 innings of the game, yielding one hit and posting two strikeouts. Gannon starter Jess Rectenwald (12-5), the 2015 PSAC West Athlete of the Year, was saddled with the loss after surrendering six runs (all earned) on seven hits and two walks in 5.2 innings (93 pitches).

In the PSAC Championship, Cal U tallied the game-winning run in the top of the seventh when Finley scored from second on an RBI single up the middle by Reicoff. The Vulcans finished the game with seven hits, as Finley and Reicoff each collected two hits and scored once.

Sagl earned the complete-game victory after allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits over 7.0 innings (123 pitches), while registering 11 strikeouts. Gannon starter Olivia Gumbita (13-5) suffered the loss after yielding three runs (all earned) on six hits and three walks in 6.0 innings (96 pitches).

The Vulcans left the bases loaded in the top of the first before the Lady Knights took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI single. Cal U again was unable to score with the bases loaded in the fourth before taking a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. Price led off with a walk and advanced to third on a single by Reicoff, who advanced to second on a ground-out that prevented Price from scoring. Price then scored on a wild pitch and Reicoff moved to third before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Fowler.

In the bottom of the fifth, Sagl ended the inning with a strikeout after an intentional walk gave the Lady Knights runners on first and second. However, Gannon tied the score with a solo homer by second baseman Jen Moran to open the sixth

Finely led off the top of the seventh with an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring the game-winning run on the RBI single by Reicoff. In the bottom of the inning, Sagl retired the Lady Knights in order to clinch back-to-back league championships for the Vulcans.

Cal U will make its eighth-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament after earning the automatic qualifier from the PSAC. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled to stream on NCAA.com on Monday, May 4, at 10 a.m.

PSAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 30
Game 1 - (E1) West Chester d. (W4) IUP, 6-5 (9 inn.)
Game 2 - (W2) Seton Hill d. (E3) Kutztown, 7-1
Game 3 - (W1) California d. (E4) East Stroudsburg, 6-0
Game 4 - (W3) Gannon d. (E2) Bloomsburg, 2-0
Game 5 - (E1) West Chester d. (W2) Seton Hill, 9-1 (6 inn.)
Game 6 - (W4) IUP d. (E3) Kutztown, 4-0 (Kutztown eliminated)
Game 7 - (W3) Gannon d. (W1) California, 5-4
Game 8 - (E2) Bloomsburg d. (E4) East Stroudsburg, 10-3 (East Stroudsburg eliminated)

Friday, May 1
Game 9 - (W1) California d. (W4) IUP, 6-0 (IUP eliminated)
Game 10 - (E2) Bloomsburg d. (W2) Seton Hill, 5-3 (Seton Hill eliminated)
Game 11 - (W3) Gannon d. (E1) West Chester, 8-4
Game 12 - (W1) California d. (E2) Bloomsburg, 6-1 (Bloomsburg eliminated)

Saturday, May 2
Game 13 - (W1) California d. (E1) West Chester, 6-0 (West Chester eliminated)
Game 14 - (W1) California d. (W3) Gannon, 8-5
Game 15 - (W1) California d. (W3) Gannon, 3-2 (Gannon eliminated)