SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (April 15) – The Vulcans posted a 6-0 victory in Game 1 at Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action before Game 2 was halted in the fifth inning due to severe weather.
With the win, the California (PA) softball team improves to 16-14 this season with a 10-9 mark in divisional play. Meanwhile, The Rock falls to 23-16 overall behind a 14-7 record in league action.
In Game 1, sophomore
Caleigh Rister (Bucyrus, Ohio/Bucyrus) registered her third complete-game shutout to improve to 9-6 this spring. She scattered five hits and issued zero walks over 7.0 innings (109 pitches) while tallying a career-high 11 strikeouts. Rister forced Slippery Rock to strand five runners on base, all in scoring position.
The Vulcans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with Rister scoring on an RBI triple by sophomore second baseman
Carlena Fiorilli (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon) before she crossed home plate on a ground-out. Cal added to its lead in the second inning when junior catcher
Shayna Postler (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) scored on a passed ball, 3-0.
In the fifth, junior right fielder
Charity Henderson (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) reached on a two-out triple before a ground-out ended the inning. Slippery Rock had runners on second and third in the bottom of the inning before Rister registered a strikeout to halt the threat. The Vulcans mounted a two-out rally in the seventh inning, scoring three runs after five-straight batters reached safely. Fiorilli scored on a wild pitch before freshman first baseman
Madison Lester (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) and junior left fielder
Alyssa Rose (Madison, Ohio/Madison) collected back-to-back RBI singles. Rister retired The Rock in order in the bottom of the seventh to complete the shutout.
Henderson finished 2-for-2 with one run scored and one walk, while Rister went 2-for-4 with one run scored. Fiorilli also scored twice in the victory.
In Game 2, Cal took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth when sophomore shortstop
Kaitlyn Achtermeier (Gilford, Ontario/Bill Crothers) scored on a wild pitch after starting the inning with a triple. The Rock responded with three runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Play was halted in the sixth inning due to lightning in the area.
The remainder of Game 2 will be completed on Thursday, April 20 at a time yet to be determined.
The Vulcans return to the diamond on Monday, April 17, when they travel to play a doubleheader against Gannon in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 2 p.m.
