GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
PHOTO GALLERY
The Saint Vincent baseball team opened the 2011 Presidents' Athletic Conference slate by suffering a sweep at the hands of Grove City College, dropping the opener 2-1 in 10 innings before falling 3-2 in the nightcap.
The Bearcats were able to muster just 12 hits over the two games, as they saw their overall record drop to 8-10 on the year.
In the opener, Saint Vincent managed just three base runners through the first five innings off of Grove City starter Cory Metcalf, but his counterpart, the Bearcats' Erik Fichter, was just as strong. While allowing baserunners in each of the first five frames, Fichter kept the Wolverines off the board, stranding two runners in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Saint Vincent would finally get on the board in the sixth. Grant Krally led off with a double to the wall in left center, giving way to pinch runner Nick LoNigro, who advanced to third on a balk. With one out, LoNigro would score on a wild pitch, giving SVC the 1-0 lead.
The advantage wouldn't hold up, however, as the visitors countered with a tally in the top of the seventh, when pinch hitter Kyle Wolff singled, and was driven home on a double to center by Josh Sacks with one out. Grove City would eventually load the bases on back-to-back walks, before Bearcat reliever Matt Tyson ended the inning with a strikeout to minimize the damage.
The two teams would then trade scoreless eighth and ninth innings, with the Bearcats stranding runners in scoring position in both frames, before the Wolverines would score the eventual gamewinner in the top of the 10th, as Marcus Magister socked a leadoff double, and scored two batters later on an RBI single from Tom Hawley, making the score 2-1. The Bearcats went in order in the bottom half of the tenth to end the game.
Fichter took the no-decision on the mound, working 6.1 innings and allowing one run with two strikeouts, scattering 10 hits. Tyson took the hard-luck loss, going 2.2 innings in relief and allowing one run on two hits with two K's. Offensively, Mike Hustava was the lone Bearcat to record multiple hits, going 2-for-4.
Metcalf worked six innings for the Wolverines, allowing one run on just four hits with one strikeout, with Grove City's Erick Locker earning the win in relief, throwing a scoreless ninth and tenth inning, allowing just one hit with one strikeout. Sacks led the way offensively in the opener, going 4-for-5, with Hawley and Andrew Patterson each tallying two safeties apiece.
In the nightcap, the Bearcats again got on the board first, scoring twice in the bottom of the second. Zack Galasso and Hustava would lead off the frame with back-to-back singles, with the former scoring on a fielder's choice off the bat of Zach Bush. Krally would follow with a single, loading the bases, before AJ Kavinsky was issued a walk, scoring Hustava and giving SVC the 2-0 lead.
Saint Vincent starter Jeff Bugajski faced just one batter over the minimum through the first three innings, before running into trouble in the fourth. With one out, Patterson would single, and then was plated on an RBI double from Kyle Shock to pull to within one.
Grove City would add onto its lead in the top of the fifth, when Randen Schleiden, who singled, was plated on a sacrifice fly from Shock to tie the game.
The hosts looked to answer in the bottom half of the inning, putting runners on first and third with one out, but Wolverine starter Zach Butler got Hustava to line out sharply to second base to end the threat and preserve the tie.
The Wolverines would seize the lead with one out in the top of the sixth, on a towering home run from Marcus Magister over the fence in left center that made the score 3-2.
Saint Vincent looked to put together one finally rally in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Kavinsky singled, and then advanced to second after Brad Burkardt reached on an error. Joe Aul would follow by walking, loading the bases for cleanup man Zack Galasso. With two strikes, Galasso laced the hardest hit ball by the Bearcats on the day, but it was right at Grove City hurler Chip Hasek, who made the catch for the second out. With the bases still loaded, Hustava hit a sharp grounder to the left side, but it was right at GCC third baseman Hawley, who stepped on third for the force to end the game.
Bugajski took the loss on the mound for the Bearcats despite pitching well, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. Mike Tedesco came on in relief to record the final two outs in the seventh inning.
Three Grove City pitchers - Butler, Max Vickerman, and Hasek - limited the Bearcats to just five hits in the nightcap, with one apiece from Kavinsky, Galasso, Hustava, Krally, and Steven Bayko. Butler gave way to Vickerman in the fifth, and the reliever earned the win by throwing two scoreless frames, with one walk and one strikeout. Hasek threw the seventh inning, earning the save.
With the two losses, SVC sees its record fall to 8-10, while Grove City improves to 7-7. The Bearcats continue their busy week on Thursday, hosting non-conference foe LaRoche College at Bearcat Ballfield for a single, nine-inning game, beginning at 3pm.
