DAVENPORT, Fla. (March 5) – The California University of Pennsylvania softball team claimed a split on Saturday during the opening day of THE Spring Games, capturing a 9-0 run-rule victory over Holy Family before suffering a 9-4 loss to Lewis (Ill.).
With the split, the Vulcans move to 4-4 overall while beginning their trip in Florida.
Against Holy Family (2-10), freshman
Caleigh Rister (
Bucyrus, Ohio/
Bucyrus) earned the complete-game victory to improve to 2-0 this season. She scattered just three hits and tallied five strikeouts with zero walks in the win.
Cal U took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI triple by senior catcher
Brooke Wilson (
Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) and a sacrifice fly. The Vulcans added to the lead in the second inning on a three-run homer by Rister, the first of her career, with two outs.
Holy Family stranded runners on the corners in the fourth before Cal U forced the run-rule victory by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Wilson delivered an RBI single before sophomore third baseman
Britney Wilson (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) drew a bases-loaded walk. Freshman shortstop
Kaitlyn Achtermeier (Gilford, Ontario/Bill Crothers) then forced the win with a two-run double, 8-0.
Rister finished 3-for-3 with a three-run homer and two runs scored from the leadoff spot.
Brooke Wilson went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored, while senior second baseman
Alexa Pastor (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) collected two hits and scored twice.
Versus Lewis (7-4), the Vulcans held a 4-2 lead before the Flyers scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth. Senior
Kelsey Barron (La Salle, Mich./St. Mary Catholic Central) suffered the loss after surrendering seven runs (three earned) on nine hits in 6.0 innings.
Rister scored in the top of the first on an error before Achtermeier belted a two-run homer, her second of the season. Rister added a solo homer in the second before Lewis countered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, 4-2.
In the sixth, the Flyers claimed the lead with seven runs (three earned) – all with two outs – after benefiting three errors in the inning. Seven-straight batters for Lewis reached base with two outs in the inning.
Brooke Wilson finished 3-for-4 with one run scored, while
Rister went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs.
Cal U continues play in Florida on Sunday, March 6, with games against Mary (N.D.) and St. Cloud State (Minn.), starting at 3:45 p.m.
