CLEARWATER, Fla. (Feb. 11) – The No. 24 California University of Pennsylvania softball team suffered a pair of losses on Saturday at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic, falling 4-3 in extra innings to Eckerd (Fla.) before suffering a 7-2 loss to No. 12 St. Mary's (Texas).

With the losses, the Vulcans fall to 2-2 while opening the year in Florida at the event, which features 11 programs that played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Against Eckerd, Cal U forced extra innings in the bottom of the seventh when sophomore pinch runner Logan Blake (Jordan Station, Ontario/Bishop Ridley) scored from second on a single by senior right fielder Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) on a 3-2 count with two outs. The game then went to the international tiebreaker with each team placing a runner on second to start the inning. In the top of the eighth, the Vulcans advanced junior shortstop Emily Price (Warren, Ohio/Howland) to third on a sacrifice bunt. Price then scored on a sacrifice fly by junior center fielder Jacquelyn Fowler (Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing) to give the Vulcans a 3-2 lead. The Tritons answered in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single to right field before a squeeze play with runners on second and third ended the inning.

The Vulcans had runners on first and second to open the top of the ninth, but were unable to break the 3-3 tie. In the bottom of the inning, the Eckerd runner moved to third on a wild pitch before right fielder Amber Schaad delivered the game-winning run on an RBI single.

Cal U used five different pitchers in the loss that combined to allow only one earned run. Senior starter Portia McBride (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) took a no-decision after yielding one run (earned) on two hits and two walks in 3.0 innings pitched (66 pitches). Sophomore Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario/College Avenue) suffered the loss after allowing one run (unearned) in 1.0-plus inning of relief.

Wilson tallied three of the team's seven hits, finishing 3-for-4 with one RBI.

Against St. Mary's, Cal U was held scoreless until scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Redshirt freshman starter Cierra Funke (Hampshire County, W.Va./Hampshire) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs (all earned) on one hit and four walks in 3.2 innings (68 pitches).

The Rattlers, which have won 15 Heartland Conference Championships in the last 16 years, took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. St. Mary's opened the inning with back-to-back walks before scoring on a fielder's choice and ground-out. Following a pitching change, the Rattlers collected a two-out RBI single later in the inning before taking a 4-0 lead in the fifth on a solo homer by designated player Brenda Iparraguirre.

St. Mary's added three runs in the top of the seventh before Cal U avoided the shutout with two runs in the bottom of the inning. The Vulcans had runners on first and second with two outs before junior catcher Kaylyn Roose (Akron, Ohio/Revere) posted a two-run double down the left field line.

The Vulcans closed play at the season-opening event tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 12, when they face Rollins (Fla.) in Clearwater, Florida, at 9 a.m.