EDINBORO, Pa. (April 24) – The California University of Pennsylvania softball team earned a split of a doubleheader against Edinboro on Wednesday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action, dropping a 2-1 contest in Game 1 before claiming a 4-2 victory in Game 2.

With the split, the Vulcans stand at 11-21 overall with a 7-9 record in league play. Cal U now ranks fifth in the divisional standings and sits two games back of the final spot for the league tournament with four games left in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots hold an 18-16 record this spring behind a 9-7 mark in the PSAC West standings.

In Game 2, senior Taylor Robblee (Woodstock, Ontario/College Avenue) earned the complete-game victory to improve to 8-7 this season. She scattered 10 hits and allowed two runs (both earned) while issuing no walks with six strikeouts over 7.0 innings (121 pitches). Edinboro starter Amanda Metz (5-10) suffered the loss after yielding four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks in 4.0 innings.

Edinboro threatened in the top of the first with a runner at third before a ground-out ended the inning. The Vulcans also had a scoring chance in the first with runners on second and third before a fly-out stranded both runners. In the third, Edinboro started the inning with a single before Cal U erased the runner with a double play.

Robblee belted a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the third. She is now tied for second in the PSAC this year with nine homers after entering the spring with 11 homers in 305 career at-bats. In the fourth, Cal U stretched the lead to 3-0 on a two-run homer by junior left fielder Sierra Besser-Paul (Montreal, Quebec/Howard S. Billings), her fourth of the season.

The Vulcans added one run in the bottom of the fifth when freshman second baseman Kaitlyn Corle (Hopewell, Pa./Northern Bedford) scored from second on a fielding error. Edinboro trimmed the deficit to 4-1 on a sacrifice fly in the sixth before Robblee later forced the Fighting Scots to leave runners on the corners. In the seventh, the Fighting Scots mounted a two-out rally with back-to-back singles that led to one run. However, Robblee induced a ground-out to seal the victory and forced Edinboro to leave the tying run on base.

In Game 1, senior Emilee Downing (Groveport, Ohio/Groveport Madison) was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) on 11 hits and tallied six strikeouts over 7.0 innings (115 pitches). Metz earned the win by working 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.

Cal U mounted a pair of two-out rallies early in the contest, however, Edinboro halted both rallies to keep the game scoreless. In the bottom of the first, Downing reached on a walk and Besser-Paul collected a single before a ground-out halted the inning. In the third, Robblee and Downing lined back-to-back singles with two outs before Besser-Paul reached on a hit by pitch. The Fighting Scots escaped the bases-loaded situation unscathed with a ground-out to the pitcher.

The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when sophomore first baseman Hannah Clunk (New Cumberland, W.Va./Oak Glen) scored on a two-out single by Besser-Paul. Edinboro tied the score in the sixth on a solo homer by catcher Roni Lipinski and later had runners on first and second before a ground-out ended the inning. Cal U looked to counter in the bottom of the inning following a leadoff double by senior designated player Carly Konopka (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township), but was unable to advance her to third.

Edinboro took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh on a bases-loaded single by Lipinski. Downing forced the Fighting Scots to leave the bases loaded after retiring the next two batters with infield fly-outs. In the bottom of the inning, sophomore catcher Brooke Wilson (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) opened with a single before Metz retired the next three batters in order to seal the win.

Besser-Paul finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Wilson collected her team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the season.

The Vulcans return to action on Friday, April 26, when they travel to play a doubleheader against Seton Hill in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, starting at 3 p.m.