MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Feb. 20) – The No. 4 Vulcans closed play at the Snowbird Tournament on Saturday with a pair of victories, earning a 6-3 win over Winston-Salem State before posting a 9-3 victory against Felician (N.J.).

With the wins, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team improves to 3-1 this season. The Vulcans scored at least six runs in each of their three victories after being limited to a pair of runs in the season-opener.

Against the Rams, the Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly before adding to the lead in the third with a two-run homer by senior first baseman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley). Winston-Salem State trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth after scoring twice on just one hit in the inning. Cal U answered in the sixth with a two-run double by senior third baseman Natalya Smarra (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) to stretch the lead to 5-2. The Vulcans later added an insurance run in the top of the sixth when senior second baseman Erica Vallecorsa (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) scored on an error after leading off the inning with a double. The Rams scored on a two-out double in the bottom half of the inning before the game ended with a strikeout.

Reicoff and Smarra both finished with two hits and a pair of RBI, while Reicoff also scored twice. Freshman Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario/College Avenue) earned the victory after allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks in 3.0 innings of relief. Senior Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) registered the save following 2.1 innings of work, yielding one unearned run on two hits with four strikeouts.

Against Felician, the Vulcans tallied 14 hits after six players posted multi-hit games. Sophomore designated player Hailey Wilson (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while sophomore center fielder Jacquelyn Fowler (Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing) finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, three runs scored and one walk. Smarra again collected two hits and finished with three RBI and two runs scored and Reicoff totaled two hits and two runs scored.

Felician jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with a two-run homer by third baseman Racquel Manzo. The Vulcans batted around in the bottom of the inning and scored four runs with Reicoff posting an RBI double and Smarra following with a two-run homer. Robblee later delivered a two-out RBI single to give Cal U a 4-2 lead.

The Vulcans added to their lead in the second with three-straight, two RBI hits by Smarra, Fowler and Wilson. Cal U posted an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth with Wilson registering a two-out RBI double to score Fowler from first. The Vulcans later stretched the lead to 9-2 in the fifth when junior right fielder Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) lined an RBI triple before the Golden Falcons scored a two-out run in the sixth.

Sagl earned the complete-game victory, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings (93 pitches). Felician starter Erin Powers suffered the loss after being roughed up for seven runs (all earned) on nine hits in 1.2 innings.

Cal U is idle for the rest of the month before returning to action at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Florida, from March 5-10.