CLERMONT, Fla. (March 2) – The Vulcans opened play at the PFX Spring Games in Florida with a pair of losses on Thursday afternoon, dropping a 1-0 contest to defending-National Champion and No. 1 Rogers State (Okla.) before falling 4-1 to Assumption (Mass.).

With the losses, the California (PA) softball team falls to 4-4 overall after previously playing six games in Georgia from Feb. 24-26. The Vulcans have already played teams from eight different states this year.

Against RSU (13-1), the Vulcans were limited to just one hit and two total base runners. Sophomore Caleigh Rister (Bucyrus, Ohio/Bucyrus) was saddled with the loss while allowing just one run (earned) on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 7.0 innings (105 pitches). RSU junior Sara Llamas-Howell – a NCAA Division I transfer from Tulsa – retired the last 12 hitters in order and collected 12 strikeouts in the complete-game shutout (93 pitches).

The Hillcats threatened in the top of the first with runners on second and third before Rister recorded a foul-out and ground-out to end the inning. In the second, RSU was again in position to score before the final out of the inning was recorded at home on a fielder's choice.

RSU scored the lone run of the game in the fourth on a two-out double before a fly-out stranded the runner in scoring position. Sophomore left fielder Carlena Fiorilli (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon) started the bottom of the fourth with a single before Llams-Howell retired the next three hitters in order.  The Hillcats threatened with back-to-back, two-out singles in the fifth before a line-out ended the inning. In the sixth, Rister forced RSU to strand runners on the corners by closing the inning with a strikeout.

The Hillcats captured the 2022 NCAA National Championship behind the play of former pitcher Andrea Morales, who was selected the NFCA National Pitcher of the Year after finishing with a 38-4 record and 348 strikeouts in 280.1 inning pitched.

Against Assumption (6-4), Cal scored an unearned run in the first and was held to just a total of three hits. Freshman transfer Kailey Larcinese (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) suffered the loss after yielding two runs (both earned) on three hits in 2.1 innings. Junior transfer Alyssa Rose (Madison, Ohio/Madison) worked the final 3.2 innings in relief, surrendering two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks.

Rister drew a leadoff walk in the top of the first and later scored on a two-out RBI single by junior catcher Britney Wilson (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny). The Greyhounds answered in the bottom of the inning by scoring on a sacrifice fly and later took a 2-1 lead in the second on a two-out RBI single.

Assumption stranded runners on first and second in both the third and fourth innings before adding a pair of insurance runs with two outs in the sixth.

Cal returns to action in Florida tomorrow, Friday, March 3, when it faces Winona State (Minn.) and Sioux Falls (S.D.), both members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), starting at 2 p.m.