INDIANA, Pa. (April 19) – The California (PA) softball team belted a trio of homers in Game 1 on Wednesday afternoon to help sweep a doubleheader at IUP in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, winning 6-1 in Game 1 before posting a 6-5 victory in Game 2.
With the sweep, the Vulcans improve to 19-18 overall behind a 12-9 record in league action. Cal continues to sit fifth in the PSAC West standings with a .571 winning percentage in divisional play. Meanwhile, IUP drops to 20-19 this season with an 11-11 mark in conference action.
In Game 1, Cal belted back-to-back homers in the fourth inning before adding another homer in the sixth. Junior catcher
Shayna Postler (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two RBI, while junior left fielder
Alyssa Rose (Madison, Ohio/Madison) finished 2-for-4 with a solo homer and freshman first baseman
Madison Lester (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) posted two hits, including a solo homer, and two RBI. Sophomore shortstop
Kaitlyn Achtermeier (Gilford, Ontario/Bill Crothers) and junior designated player
Britney Wilson (Coraopolis, Pa./West Allegheny) both collected a pair of hits in the victory.
The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI double by Postler before the Crimson Hawks tied the score in the bottom half after benefiting from a two-out fielding error. Cal broke the tie in the fourth inning with Lester and Rose belting back-to-back solo homers to prompt a pitching change. Freshman third baseman
Makaylia Schlosser (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon) then drew a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a single to center field by Wilson, 4-1. In the fifth, Lester posted an RBI double to extend the lead to 5-1 before Poster started the sixth inning with a solo homer.
Sophomore
Caleigh Rister (Bucyrus, Ohio/Bucyrus) earned her third-straight, complete-game victory to improve to 10-6 this season. She allowed one run (unearned) while scattering two hits and one walk over 7.0 innings (100 pitches) and tallied eight strikeouts.
In Game 2, Cal broke a 5-5 tie in the top of the seventh with a two-out RBI single by junior right fielder
Charity Henderson (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland), who finished 3-for-4 with one run scored. Rose went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Postler finished 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single by Schlosser before the Crimson Hawks scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second. IUP broke the tie with a sacrifice fly in the third before Cal answered with four runs on four hits in the fourth, 5-2. Henderson started the inning with a single and scored from first on a double to right center by Lester, who later scored on a sacrifice fly. Postler then delivered an RBI double to center field and touched home on a ground-out. IUP responded by scoring three runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score at 5-5.
In the seventh, Rister reached on a hit by pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Henderson later delivered the go-ahead, two-out RBI single to center field. Rose retired the initial two batters in the bottom of the seventh and following a single ended the game with a fly-out.
Rose (5-5) earned the victory after working 3.0 scoreless innings of one-hit relief and finished with five strikeouts.
Cal returns to action tomorrow, Thursday, April 20, when it plays the remainder of its halted game at Slippery Rock from the weekend. Play will resume in the top of the fifth inning with The Rock holding a 3-1 lead at 3 p.m.
