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CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team's quest for a playoff berth took a hit with a pair of losses at first place and 14^th ranked California (Pa.) Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action.
 
The Rock fell behind early in Game 1 and fell 11-1 in five innings. Slippery Rock jumped out to an early lead in Game 2, but the Vulcans stormed back and handed The Rock an 11-3 loss in five innings.
 
In the opener, the Vulcan bats came out firing from the very start. Natalie Wideman singled to lead off the first inning before a walk and home run from Shelby Lia put the hosts on top 3-0 after three batters. Three consecutive singles and a Slippery Rock error yielded two more runs to give Cal U a 5-0 lead after one.
 
California extended its lead to 7-0 in the second on a solo home run from Lindsay Reicoff and RBI single from Natalya Smarra. After the Vulcans added another run in the third, sophomore Ashley Samluk led off the fourth inning with a solo blast to put Slippery Rock on the board. The Vulcans put a pair of runners on to start the fifth inning, before Reicoff smashed a three-run home run to end the game and give the hosts an 11-1 win in five innings.
 
Reicoff went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs, while Lia added a home run and three RBIs to pace the high-powered California offense. Alex Sagl (18-2) struck out 10 and allowed a run on four hits in a complete game five-inning victory.
 
Samluk went 1-for-2 with a home run, sophomore shortstop Katie Kaiser went 1-for-3 with a double and freshman Eliza Sykes went 1-for-3 to lead the Slippery Rock offense. Senior Emily Lobdell (9-9) received the loss after allowing 11 runs (eight earned) on 13 hits in 4+ innings.
 
In the nightcap, The Rock surged ahead with a three-run top of the first. After a Sykes single and walk to junior Taylor Welch, Kaiser ripped a RBI double to right center to put SRU ahead 2-0. Freshman catcher McKenzie Popatak capped the inning with a two-run single up the middle.
 
Breanna Morris answered for the Vulcans in the bottom half of the first with a two-run home run, before a leadoff double and RBI single from Megan Jahoda knotted the game at 3-3 in the second. Jahoda capped a three-run third inning for Cal U with a two-run home run, before the Vulcans exploded for five runs in the fifth to record the 11-3 victory.
 
Jahoda went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, while Morris and Reicoff each went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs to power the California offense. Kaity Davis (11-2) allowed three runs on 10 hits to pick up the win in five innings.
 
Kaiser went 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and RBI to pace the SRU offense. Popatak went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Sykes went 2-for-3 with a run scored to cap The Rock's offensive attack. Freshman Carly DeRose (6-11) was tagged with the loss after allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on 12 hits and five walks in 4.1 innings.
 
With the losses, Slippery Rock drops to 16-23 overall and into fifth place at 11-13 in the PSAC-West. The Rock sits a game back of third place and a half game back of the final playoff spot with four games remaining. California extended its winning streak to 25 and stays on top of the division with a perfect 22-0 mark in the conference.
 
The Rock returns to action Sunday at second place Indiana (Pa.). First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. SRU will then turn its attention back to California Monday for its regular-season finale from the SRU Softball Complex.