Cal women open Rebel Games with DH sweep
The California University of Pa. softball team opened the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla., Thursday, with a doubleheader sweep, defeating St. Cloud State (Minn.), 8-0, and Saginaw Valley (Mich.), 3-2.
After invoking the 8-run mercy rule in the first game, the Vulcans needed the international tiebreaker to win the nightcap.
California led 1-0 in the third inning, but Saginaw Valley took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. The Vulcans tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
Saginaw Valley was held scoreless in the top of the eighth. Katie Natter led off for the Vulcans with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and fly-out. Saginaw Valley intentionally walked the next two batters, and Waynesburg Central graduate Alyson Johnson lined a walk-off single to center field.
Kaitlyn Schilling earned the complete-game victory, allowing seven hits. Johnson, Jillian Russell and Natalie Wideman all had two hits.
California (5-1) continues action today with games against Minnesota State Mankato and Ferris State (Mich.).
Husson (Maine) 3, Waynesburg 2; Waynesburg 7, Albion 2 – The Yellow Jackets salvaged a split at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla., with a win in the second game.
Husson scored two in the bottom of the first inning in the opening game, and Waynesburg cut the deficit in half with a single run in the top of the fifth inning.
Trailing 3-1 in the top of the seventh, Haley Payne drove in her second run of the game. However, the Yellow Jackets stranded the bases loaded.
Jenn Lingg went the distance in the loss, allowing two earned runs on seven hits. She walked one and struck out four.
Waynesburg (4-4) pushed out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning in the nightcap, and extended the advantage to 6-0 after five innings.
Carrie Maier threw four shutout innings to earn the victory, allowing just two hits while striking out two and walking two. Lindsay Palarino earned the save, pitching the final three innings.
Haley Payne was 4-for-8 in the doubleheader with four RBI.
College baseball
Mt. Olive (N.C.) 12, California (Pa.) 3 – The Vulcans trailed 4-2 after four innings, and never rebounded for a non-conference loss in North Carolina.
California slips to 7-5, while the Trojans improve to 11-5.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the second inning, California tied the game on RBI singles from Matt Peters and Joe Borrelli. Will Bynum’s 2-run home run in the fourth gave the Trojans the lead again, and the home team pulled away with six runs in the fifth.
Borrelli belted a two-out RBI single in the sixth. He finished with a career-high three hits. California graduate Ben Carson extended his hitting streak to eight games with a second-inning single.