CLEARWATER, Fla. (Feb. 8) – The Vulcans opened the season with a pair of losses at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic on Friday, dropping a 5-0 loss to Eckerd (Fla.) and a 4-2 contest to Molloy (N.Y.).

Against Eckerd (2-3) of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC), Cal U was limited to five hits and committed three errors in the loss. Triton starter Nikole Van Gennep (2-1), a first-team all-region utility/pitcher in 2018, earned a complete-game shutout on Friday after recording nine strikeouts and no walks over 7.0 innings (114 pitches). Senior Emilee Downing (Groveport, Ohio/Groveport Madison) suffered the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on three hits and three walks with eight strikeouts over 3.2 innings (92 pitches).

The Tritons opened the game with back-to-back walks in the top of the first before both runners advanced on a fly-out to right center. The runners then advanced again on a wild pitch and on the throw to the pitcher covering the plate the ball deflected off the lead runner after they scored and the ball returned to the backstop, which allowed the second run to score.

Eckerd threatened to add to the lead in third with the first two batters reaching on a fielding error and shallow single to center field. Downing then retired the next three batters via strikeouts to keep the deficit at 2-0. However, the Tritons increased the lead in the fourth with a three-run homer by Van Gennep, who led the team last year with a .377 average.

Cal U collected its first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore catcher Brooke Wilson (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) reached a line-drive single that ricocheted off the third baseman. The Vulcans then had runners on the corners later in the inning following a single from junior first baseman Paige Wilson (Warren, Pa./Warren) before Van Gennep retired the next two batters in order to end the inning.

In the sixth, Brooke Wilson and freshman Ava Gnibus (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Plesant) reached on back-to-back singles with one out. Following a foul-out, junior left fielder Sierra Besser-Paul (Montreal, Quebec/Howard S. Billings), a transfer from Tiffin, reached on an infield single to load the bases before Van Gennep registered a strikeout to preserve the shutout.

Brooke Wilson collected two of the team's five hits from the leadoff spot. Sophomore Hannah Clunk (New Cumberland, W.Va./Oak Gen), a transfer from Fairmont State, worked 3.1 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts.

Against Molloy (1-1) of the East Coast Conference (ECC), the Vulcans left eight runners on base and again committed three errors that resulted in three unearned runs. Lion starter Jenna Turato (1-0) posted the win after allowing two runs and scattering six hits in 6.2 innings (123 pitches). Senior pitcher/designated player Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario/College Avenue) was saddled with the loss after yielding four runs (one earned) on five hits with four strikeouts in 5.0-plus innings (94 pitches).

The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out fielding error before adding two runs in the second after another two-out fielding error with the bases loaded. In the bottom of the fourth, Cal U had runners on first and second with two outs before a strikeout ended the inning.

The Vulcans again threatened in the fifth with sophomore shortstop Alexa Pastor (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) and Brooke Wilson reaching on back-to-back singles with one out. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before a strikeout and pop-up halted the scoring threat. In the sixth, Molloy loaded the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch before a wild pitch resulted in an insurance run.

In the bottom of the seventh, Brooke Wilson reached on a four-pitch walk with two outs before Robblee belted a two-run homer to left field to cut the deficit to 4-2. Paige Wilson then reached on a walk before the game ended with a strikeout.

Brooke Wilson finished 3-for-3 with one walk and Robblee tallied her 12th career homer.

The NFCA Leadoff Classic features 20 teams from 11 different conferences this season with four teams advancing to the 2018 NCAA Championships, including national semifinalists Saint Leo (Fla.) and Southern Arkansas.

Cal U continues play in Clearwater, Florida, tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 9, with games against Florida Tech and West Florida, starting at 12 p.m.