CALIFORNIA (March 22) – Senior second baseman Jordan Pinneri and sophomore first baseman Makaylia Schlosser both collected four hits and three RBI, as the Vulcans posted a doubleheader sweep against Mercyhurst in their home opener at Lilley Field on Friday afternoon while beginning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

RECORDS/SERIES
• The California (PA) softball team improves to 4-6 this season while playing its first games in two weeks.
• The Lakers drop to 4-11 overall after being picked first in the preseason PSAC West poll for a consecutive year.
• The teams split the series in the 2023 with the road team sweeping both doubleheaders, as three games went to extra innings.

GAME 1
STATS
• Schlosser finished 2-for-2 with two RBI, one run scored and one walk in the victory.
• Junior left fielder Carlena Fiorilli reached base in all four plate appearances (two singles, two singles) and scored one run.
• Junior Caleigh Rister (1-4) earned a complete-game victory, allowing one run (unearned) on six hits and zero walks in 7.0 innings (93 pitches).

ACTION
• The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Rister scored on a sacrifice fly by Schlosser with the bases loaded.
• Cal added to the lead in the third when senior third baseman Shayna Postler delivered a two-run single after a run scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch.
• Rister extended the lead to 4-0 with an RBI double by Rister in the bottom of the fourth.
• The Lakers benefited from a pair of errors in the fifth before Fiorilli scored on a RBI single by Schlosser in the bottom of the sixth.
• Mercyhurst starting pitcher Mikaela Schramski (1-3) was saddled with the loss after surrendering four runs (all earned) on four hits and four walks in 2.1 innings (77 pitches).

GAME 2
STATS
• Pinneri went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored against the Lakers.
• Sophomore right fielder Mikayla Linkous also added three hits with one RBI and one run scored, while Schlosser collected a pair of hits, one RBI and one run scored.
• Senior Alyssa Rose (3-2) posted the win after yielding four runs (all earned) on nine hits and three runs in 5.1 innings (114 pitches).
• Rister worked a scoreless inning of relief to record her second career save, plus reached base three times (single, two walks).

ACTION
• Cal raced out to a 4-0 lead after scoring four runs with two outs in the bottom of the second.
• Pinneri collected a two-run double before Linkous followed with an RBI single.
• Pinneri added an RBI single in the third and Schlosser registered an RBI single in the fourth, 6-0.
• The Lakers cut into the deficit in the fifth on a two-run homer by designated player Baily Cannon before scoring twice more in the sixth, 6-4.
• Cannon, a freshman, belted her second homer of the game to start the seventh before Rister entered the circle.
• Laker starter Morgan Hilty (1-4), a two-time All-PSAC West selection, was dealt the loss after being roughed up for five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 2.2 innings (63 pitches).

NEXT
• The Vulcans continue their weekend homestand tomorrow, Saturday, March 22, by hosting Slippery Rock for a doubleheader in PSAC West action at 2 p.m.