QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (April 30) – The No. 7 California University of Pennsylvania softball team lost twice to Bloomsburg on Saturday afternoon in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship, falling 5-4 in extra innings before suffering a 5-1 loss.

With the losses, the Vulcans fall to 35-4 overall and must now receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Cal U was slotted fifth in each of the three editions of the NCAA Atlantic regional rankings this spring. Meanwhile, the Huskies improve to 44-7 this season earn the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.

In Game 1 on Saturday, the Vulcans held a 4-2 lead with one out in the bottom of the seventh before first baseman Mallory Tomaschik reached on a single. Catcher Anna McElroy then tied the score at 4-4 on a two-run homer to left field, her first of the year and third in 182 career at-bats. Cal U then made a pitching change to senior Meghan Uher (Acme, Pa./Connellsville), who ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts to force extra innings.

Cal U opened the top of the eighth with back-to-back singles before having runners on second and third with no outs following a wild pitch. The Huskies then induced a foul-out to the catcher before left fielder Emilee Downing (Groveport, Ohio/Groveport Madison) was tagged out in a rundown between third and home. Cal U had runners on the corners with two outs before Bloomsburg ended the inning by recording a strikeout.

Uher issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning before senior Alex Sagl (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Trafalgar) entered the circle in relief. The Huskies followed with a single and the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch with no outs. Shortstop Taylor Winkelman then delivered a walk-off RBI single to force the second game.

Senior first baseman Lindsay Reicoff (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, while senior third baseman Natalya Smarra (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) posted a pair of RBI and one run scored.

Uher (13-1) suffered her first loss of the season in 21 appearances after allowing one run (earned) in 0.2 innings of relief. Freshman Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario/College Avenue) took a no-decision after allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk in 6.1 innings (103 pitches). She also totaled six strikeouts while making just her second start of the year, and first since March 7. Bloomsburg junior Sarah Bortner earned the win after tossing 1.0 inning of scoreless relief.

Bloomsburg took advantage of a two-out error in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead before leaving the bases loaded. The Vulcans answered with three runs in the third after collecting four-straight singles with one out. Smarra lined a two-run, bases-loaded single before later scoring on an RBI single by Robblee. Cal U stretched the lead to 4-1 in the fourth with a solo homer by Reicoff, her ninth of the year. In the sixth, the Huskies again capitalized of a throwing error by scoring on a two-out RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2.

In Game 2, Bortner (15-6) tossed 6.0 innings (108 pitches) of shutout relief to earn her second victory of the day, scattering two hits and issuing three walks. Sagl suffered the loss to fall to 14-3 this season after yielding two runs (both earned) on three hits and one walk in 1.1 innings. Uher worked 3.0 innings of relief in Game 2, allowing one run (unearned) on two hits and one walk.

The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo homer by sophomore shortstop Emily Price (Warren, Ohio/Howland), her third of the year. Bloomsburg left runners on second and third in the bottom of the inning before taking a 3-1 lead in the second. With runners on the corners, the Huskies tied the score on a sacrifice fly before right fielder Emily Mayhew delivered a two-run double and was thrown out attempting to take third on the play.

In the third, Cal U had runners on second and third with one out before Price was tagged out at the plate after attempting to score on a fielder's choice to third. The Huskies added to their lead in the bottom of the third when a two-out error allowed a runner to score from second. Bloomsburg nearly added to its lead in the fourth when a runner was thrown out at home after attempting to score on the throw to first on a ground-out.

Price reached on a throwing error to leadoff the fifth and moved to second on a one-out walk. Bortner then ended the threat with a strikeout and a foul-out. The Huskies added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth after the inning started with a leadoff single and fielding error.

Price collected three of the team's four hits in the loss, finishing 3-for-4 with a solo homer. Cal U left nine runners on base in Game 2, including five in scoring position.

The Vulcans and Huskies played for the PSAC Championship for the fourth time since 2000 and Cal U suffered its first elimination-game loss in the PSAC Tournament since the 2013 season.

Cal U looks to receive one of the five at-large bids to the Atlantic Regional Tournament with the field being announced on Monday, May 2, at 10 a.m. EST. In addition to Bloomsburg, the tournament champions from both the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament.

2016 PSAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, April 27
Game 1: (E3) Millersville d. (W3) Slippery Rock, 4-2
Game 2: (W1) California d. (C3) IUP, 4-3
Game 3: (C2) Lock Haven d. (E2) Kutztown, 4-3
Game 4: (W2) Gannon d. (E1) West Chester, 3-1
Game 5: (C1) Bloomsburg d. (E3) Millersville, 1-0
Game 6: (C3) IUP d. (W3) Slippery Rock, 2-1 (Slippery Rock eliminated)

Thursday, April 28
Game 7: (E3) Millersville d. (E1) West Chester, 3-2 (West Chester eliminated)
Game 8: (E2) Kutztown d. (C3) IUP, 3-2 (IUP eliminated)
Game 9: (W1) California d. (C2) Lock Haven, 7-2
Game 10: (C1) Bloomsburg d. (W2) Gannon, 3-0
 
Friday, April 29
Game 11: (C2) Lock Haven d. (E3) Millersville, 5-2 (Millersville eliminated)
Game 12: (E2) Kutztown d. (W2) Gannon, 10-5 (Gannon eliminated)
Game 13: (W1) California d. (C1) Bloomsburg, 9-6
Game 14: (C2) Lock Haven d. (E2) Kutztown, 5-3 (Kutztown eliminated)
Game 15: (C1) Bloomsburg d. (C2) Lock Haven, 3-2 (Lock Haven eliminated)

Saturday, April 30
Game 16: (C1) Bloomsburg d. (W1) California, 5-4
Game 17: (C1) Bloomsburg d. (W1) California, 5-1 (California eliminated)