QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (May 3) – After surrendering a three-run homer in the first, the Vulcans rallied to tie the score before back-to-back errors with two outs in the seventh led to a 4-3 loss to No. 20 West Chester on Wednesday afternoon in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team falls to 21-16 overall and will play an elimination game tonight, Wednesday, May 3, against IUP at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, West Chester, which is the top seed from the PSAC East, improves to 41-10 this season and advances in the winner's bracket to play tomorrow, Thursday, May 4.

Senior pitcher Portia McBride (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) opened the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts before shortstop Alyssa Herion reached on a single back to the circle and advanced to second on a throwing error. With a 2-0 count on the cleanup hitter and catcher Cat Hammer, McBride induced a groundball to the right side of the infield and a throwing error on the play allowed the batter to reach safely and Herion to score from second.

McBride (8-5) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks in 6.2 innings (120 pitches). She also recorded nine strikeouts in the contest and scattered just three hits after the first inning. West Chester junior Amanda Houck (28-3) earned the victory after surrendering three runs (all earned) on seven hits in 7.0 innings (134 pitches).

The Vulcans were retired in order in the top of the first before the Golden Rams tallied five hits in the bottom of the inning with a three-run homer by Hammer. Following a pop-up, West Chester collected back-to-back singles before a fly-out ended the inning. Both teams left a runner in scoring position in the third before Cal U cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer by senior catcher Megan Jahoda (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson), her third of the year. The Vulcans then recorded three-straight singles to load the bases before a pinch-hit strikeout and ground-out ended the threat.

In the fifth, West Chester drew a pair of walks before a fly-out ended the inning. The Vulcans tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk by junior designated player Kaylyn Roose (Akron, Ohio/Revere). The Golden Rams then recorded back-to-back outs at home on comebackers to the pitch to keep the score tied.

The Golden Rams left a runner at second in the sixth following a one-out double before earning the victory in the seventh after benefiting from a pair of two-out errors.

Sophomore third baseman Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario/College Avenue) finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and senior right fielder Kaity Finley (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) also collected a pair of hits.

Cal U finished with the game with eight runners left on base, leaving the bases loaded in both the fourth and fifth innings, and struck out looking five times.

The Vulcans return to action tonight when they face IUP, the third seed in the PSAC Central, at 6 p.m.

2017 PSAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 3
Game 1: (E3) Shippensburg d. (C3) IUP, 5-4
Game 2: (E1) West Chester d. (W3) California, 4-3
Game 3: (W2) Seton Hill vs. (C2) Lock Haven, 3 p.m.
Game 4: (C1) Bloomsburg vs. (E2) Kutztown, 3 p.m.
Game 5: (W1) Gannon vs. (E3) Shippensburg, 6 p.m.
Game 6: (C3) IUP vs. (W3) California, 6 p.m. (loser eliminated)
 
Thursday, May 4
Game 7: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 4, 12 p.m.
Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 6, 12 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 9: Winner of Game 3 vs. (E1) West Chester, 3 p.m.
Game 10: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5, 3 p.m.
Game 11: Loser of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 7, 6 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 12: Loser of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 8, 6 p.m. (loser eliminated)
 
Friday, May 5
Game 13: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10, 12 p.m.
Game 14: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12, 3 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 15: Loser of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 14, 6 p.m. (loser eliminated)
 
Saturday, May 6
Game 16: Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 15, 12 p.m.
IF necessary, Game 17:  Game 16 winner vs. Game 16 loser, 3 p.m.