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Box Score vs. East Stroudsburg
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Box Score vs. Indiana (Pa.)
CALIFORNIA (April 23) – The No. 20 California University of Pennsylvania softball team advanced to the second day of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament following victories over East Stroudsburg, 7-3, and IUP, 7-2, on Friday afternoon at Lilly Field.
With the wins, the Vulcans improve to 32-9 overall this season with a 14-0 mark in home games. The Crimson Hawks also advanced to the second day after defeating the Warriors in the first game at Lilly Field. Cal U (2-0) and IUP (1-1) will meet again tomorrow, Saturday, April 24, in Game 4 of the double-elimination bracket. With a victory, the Vulcans will be one of three teams to play in the finals of the PSAC Tournament next weekend at a site to be determined.
Against East Stroudsburg, Cal U took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a two-out RBI single by sophomore left fielder
Kristen McKenzie (Senneville, Quebec/St. Thomas). After being no-hit for four innings, the Warriors took a 3-1 lead after collecting three hits in the top of the fifth.
The Vulcans then countered with six runs on five hits and one error to take the 7-3 lead. With two runners on base, junior right fielder
Amanda Wallace (Oakmont, Pa./Penn Hills) lined a RBI double to the cut the deficit to one run. Senior first baseman
Julia Mueller (Bairdford, Pa./Deer Lakes) followed with a go-ahead, three-run homer (second of the season) over the centerfield wall. Later in the inning, junior third baseman
Danielle Easton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) and sophomore shortstop
Jillian Russell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic) collected back-to-back RBI doubles.
Junior
Maria Greco (Pickering, Ontario/Notre Dame Catholic) earned the win after tossing 2.2 innings of hitless relief to extend her hitless streak to 15.1 innings of work over four appearances. East Stroudsburg's Jackie Battaglino (11-16) suffered the loss after allowing all seven runs (five earned) on nine hits in 6.0 innings.
Wallace finished the game 2-for-3 with a RBI and run, while senior center fielder
Julie Mackenzie (Mississauga, Ontario/Meadowvale) scored two runs.
Against IUP, Cal U took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when junior second baseman
Merissa Daley (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) scored on a throwing error by the catcher. The Vulcans broke the game open with six runs on four hits in the sixth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, senior designated player
Kayleigh Braim (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) delivered a two-run double before Daley followed with RBI double. Easton then belted a three-run homer (sixth of the season) to cap the two-out rally in the sixth.
The Crimson Hawks then plated a pair of runs in the top of the seventh on a two-out, two-run homer by second baseman Dee Eppinger.
Senior
Lauren Shaheen (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield), who started both games on Friday, recorded the complete-game victory after allowing two runs on five hits with no walks, while fanning four in 7.0 innings. Crimson Hawk Erin Holloway (24-5) was saddled with the loss, yielding seven runs (six runs) on five hits and six walks.
Daley finished the contest, going 2-for-2 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Cal U and IUP will face each other for the fourth time on Saturday with the Vulcans winning the previous three meetings by a combined seven runs. The game at Lilly Field is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. If the Crimson Hawks win, the two teams will play each other again in fifth and final game of the double-elimination tournament.
