DAVENPORT, Fla. (March 9) – The California University of Pennsylvania softball team scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday morning to post a 9-8 win in extra innings against USciences (Pa.) at THE Spring Games.

With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 8-5 overall behind a 5-2 mark while in Florida. Cal U was set to face Bemidji State (Minn.) on Wednesday afternoon before the game was canceled due to rain.

Cal U forced extra innings with a two-out, pinch-hit RBI single by sophomore Izzy Farmer (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) in the bottom of the seventh. Utilizing the international tiebreaker, the Devils scored twice (both unearned) in the eighth inning on a pair of RBI singles. The Vulcans opened the bottom of the inning with an RBI single by sophomore second baseman Salena Jaquay (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) to trim the deficit to 8-7 before freshman left fielder Carlena Fiorilli (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon) followed with a single. After a fielder's choice, senior catcher Brooke Wilson (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) tied the game with an RBI double before freshman shortstop Kaitlyn Achtermeier (Gilford, Ontario/Bill Crothers) delivered the walk-off RBI single, 9-8.

Achtermeier finished 3-for-5 and five RBI behind a grand slam. Jaquay went 2-for-3 with one RBI and on run scored, while Wilson finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Shayna Postler (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) collected a pair of hits, including a solo homer, in the victory.

The Devils took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on a solo homer by catcher Gabriella Polera before the Vulcans tied the score in the bottom of the inning on a homer by Postler, her first of the season. USciences countered with four runs in the fifth after benefiting from four errors in the inning, 5-1. Cal U again tied the score in the bottom of the fifth with a grand slam by Achtermeier, her team-leading fourth homer of the year.

USciences started the sixth with a solo homer by right fielder Gabrielle Simms before Cal U tied the score with two outs in the seventh.

Freshman Caleigh Rister (Bucyrus, Ohio/Bucyrus) earned the win to improve to 5-1 this season. She started the game before leaving the circle in the top of the fourth. Rister then reentered in the eighth and recorded the last two outs of the game. The Ohio native allowed one run (earned) on seven hits in a total of 4.0 innings.

The Vulcans are set to close their trip to Florida tomorrow, Thursday, March 10, with games against Cedarville (Ohio) and Northwood (Mich.), starting at 12:15 p.m.