CLERMONT, Fla. (March 12) – The California University of Pennsylvania softball team earned a pair of victories on Tuesday at the PFX Spring Games, posting a 1-0 win versus Saint Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) and a 4-2 victory over Drury (Mo.).

With the wins, the Vulcans improve to 4-8 this season behind a 4-2 mark during spring break.

Against Saint Thomas Aquinas (3-4), senior Emilee Downing (Groveport, Ohio/Groveport Madison) recorded a one-hit, complete-game shutout to improve to 1-2 this season. She tied her season high of eight strikeouts and allowed just two base runners (single, walk) over 7.0 innings.

Cal U scored the lone run of the contest in the bottom of the first on a solo homer by senior Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario/College Avenue). Downing retired the initial 10 batters of the game before the Spartans collected their only hit of the game with one out in the top of the fourth. Saint Thomas Aquinas later had runners on the corners following a two-out walk before Cal U prevented a double steal by throwing out the runner at home to end the inning. The leadoff runner for the Vulcans reached safely in both the fifth and sixth innings and advanced into scoring position, but Cal U was unable to add to the lead.

Against Drury (4-8), Robblee earned a complete-game victory to improve to 3-2 this year. She yielded two runs (one earned) while scattering five hits and six walks in 7.0 innings. Robblee leads the team this season with a 1.44 ERA and 34.0 innings pitched behind three complete games.

Robblee forced the Panthers to leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the first before Drury took a 1-0 lead in the second after taking advantage of a two-out error. The Vulcans tied the game in the fourth when senior center fielder Abby Sachse (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton) scored from second on an error.

In the top of the fifth, sophomore third baseman Alexa Pastor (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) led off the inning with a single and sophomore catcher Brooke Wilson (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) followed with a double. Robblee then delivered an RBI single before Wilson later scored on a wild pitch. Drury retired the next two batters before Cal U drew back-to-back walks to load the bases before a fielder's choice ended the inning.

The Vulcans stretched the lead to 4-1 in the sixth when freshman shortstop Christiana Czegan (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) scored on a fielder's choice after she started the inning with a triple. Drury answered with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh and had the game-tying run on base before Robblee induced a ground-out to seal the victory.

Robblee finished 3-for-3 with one RBI, while Czegan collected two hits and scored one run.

Cal U returns to action at the PFX Spring Games tomorrow, Wednesday, March 13, when it faces Ferris State (Mich.) and Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), starting at 11:15 a.m.