QUAKERTOWN, Pa. (May 1) – The California (PA) softball team surrendered nine runs in the bottom of the fourth while suffering a 12-1 loss to Kutztown on Wednesday afternoon during the opening day of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament at Veteran's Park.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 22-19 overall and will play an elimination game tomorrow, Thursday, May 2, at 12:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears improve to 32-20 this season and play again tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Senior designated player Alyssa Rose collected a pair of hits and scored the team's lone run on Wednesday. Cal finished the game with six runners left on base, including the bases loaded in the fourth.

Kutztown raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after three of the initial four batters reached base on singles before Cal made a pitching change. The Golden Bears stranded a pair of runners on base in the third before the Vulcans cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the fourth. Rose started the rally with a double and later scored on bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the inning, Kutztown tallied nine runs on five hits, three walks and one hit by pitch off three different pitchers. The initial seven batters of the inning reached base safely with left fielder Emily Henn and designated player Hannah Reimel collecting back-to-back, two-run hits.  Later in the inning, second baseman Alexa Stevens belted a three-run homer with two outs.

Junior starting pitcher Caleigh Rister (13-9) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (all earned) over 1.1 inning of work. Sophomore Kailey Larcinese worked 2.2 innings of relief in her second appearance of the year and Rose faced three batters in the contest. Kutztown starting pitcher Haley Gravish (18-9) earned the win after yielding one run (earned) on seven hits with zero walks in 5.0 innings (82 pitches) with seven strikeouts.

Cal and Kutztown were meeting for the first time since the 2013 PSAC Championship.