CLERMONT, Fla. (March 13) – The Vulcans dropped a pair of contests at the PFX Spring Games on Wednesday, suffering a 4-1 loss to Ferris State (Mich.) and a 2-0 contest to Auburn Montgomery (Ala.).
With the losses, the California University of Pennsylvania softball team falls to 4-10 overall with all 14 games being played in The Sunshine State.
Against Ferris State (7-9), senior
Carly Konopka (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk in 5.0 innings of relief. Bulldog starter Connor Proctor earned the complete-game victory after yielding one run (earned) and scattering six hits over 7.0 innings.
The Vulcans threatened to take the lead in the top of the first following a hit by pitch and an error with two outs before a fly-out ended the inning. Ferris State led off the fourth with a walk and the runner later scored from second on a single, 1-0. In the fifth, freshman shortstop
Christiana Czegan (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) lined a one-out single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt before a pop-up halted the threat.
In the sixth, Cal U tied the scored on a two-out RBI single by senior center fielder
Abby Sachse (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton) that scored junior left fielder
Sierra Besser-Paul (Montreal, Quebec/Howard S. Billings) from second. The Bulldogs answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning after taking advantage of three errors. The leadoff batter reached on two-base error before Ferris State collected back-to-back hits that each scored a run. The Bulldogs later had runners on the corners before lining into a double play, however, the next batter reached on an error that allowed the runner from third to score.
The Vulcans looked to respond in the top of the seventh with back-to-back, one-out singles by Czegan and sophomore third baseman
Alexa Pastor (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg). Ferris State then recorded consecutive fly-out to seal the victory.
Czegan collected a pair of singles in the contest.
Against Auburn Montgomery (23-5), senior
Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario) was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs (both unearned) on six hits over 6.0 innings (99 pitches). Warhawk sophomore Michaelyn Foster (10-1) earned the complete-game shutout victory, scattering three hits and two walks in 7.0 innings (88 pitches).
Cal U again looked to possibly take an early lead in the bottom of the first with Robblee reaching on a walk and Besser-Paul following with a single. Both runners then advanced on a ground-out before AUM induced another ground-out to end the inning.
Robblee forced the Warhawks to strand runners in the initial three innings before AUM scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. The inning opened with an error and a sacrifice bunt and Robblee then recorded the second out on a called third strike. AUM then delivered an RBI double and an error on the play allowed the batter to advance to third. The next batter then reached on another error that allowed the runner to score before the inning ended on a ground-out.
Foster retired the Vulcans in order in the fifth and prevented a runner from advancing into scoring position in the last two innings.
The Warhawks are in their second year as members of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) after previously playing at the NAIA level. AUM captured back-to-back NAIA National Championships in 2014 and 2015 before transitioning to NCAA Division II the following season.
Cal U closes play at the PFX Spring Games tomorrow, Thursday, March 14, by facing Wayne State (Mich.) and Bridgeport (Conn.), starting at 1:45 p.m.
