QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (May 4) – Facing the top-ranked team in the Atlantic Region, the Vulcans were tied in the middle of the sixth before dropping a 7-4 contest to East Stroudsburg in an elimination game in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
With the loss, the California (PA) softball team finishes the season with a 27-24 overall record while making a third-consecutive appearance in the PSAC Tournament. The Vulcans tied for third in the PSAC West standings this spring and secured the fourth seed from the division for the double-elimination tournament. Meanwhile, the Warriors improve to 37-15 this season while already setting the school record for wins.
The Vulcans took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth before tying the score at 4-4 in the sixth inning. Junior
Alyssa Rose (Madison, Ohio/Madison) finished 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored, while sophomore
Caleigh Rister (Bucyrus, Ohio/Bucyrus) collected a pair of hits. Junior catcher
Shayna Postler (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) added a three-run homer in the losing effort.
ESU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a solo homer by second baseman Denva Shaw-Tait. The Vulcans stranded a pair of runners in the third before the Warriors stretched the lead to 2-0 on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning before leaving runners on the corners. In the fourth, Cal claimed a 3-2 advantage on a three-run homer to center field by Postler, her third longball of the tournament, after the inning started with back-to-back singles. ESU responded with a leadoff homer by catcher Kaitlin Houser in the bottom of the inning, 3-3.
The Warriors mounted a two-out rally in the fifth with three-straight hits to take a 4-3 lead. Cal answered in the top of the sixth with a solo homer to left field by Rose, her second in as many days, to tie the score at 4-4. ESU reclaimed the lead with a two-run homer by left fielder Maddy Pritchard in the bottom of the sixth and later added an insurance run in the inning on a two-out RBI double.
Freshman
Kailey Larcinese (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) was saddled with the loss to finish the year with an 8-8 record. She allowed five runs (all earned) on eight hits and two walks in 3.2 innings (81 pitches) of relief. Rister yielded two runs (both earned) in 2.0-plus innings while taking a no-decision in the start.
ESU standout Paige Zigmund, the 2023 PSAC East Pitcher of the Year, earned the complete-game victory to improve to 21-4 this season. She surrendered four runs (all earned) on seven hits and zero walks over 7.0 innings (101 pitches) with five strikeouts.
The Vulcans were facing the Warriors for the first since the 2015 PSAC Tournament.
