BOX SCORE - GAME ONE

BOX SCORE - GAME TWO

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO - GAME ONE

LATROBE (Mar. 22) - The Bearcats earned a doubleheader sweep in non-conference action over Franciscan with a pair of 12-0 wins at Saint Vincent Field.

With the sweep, the Saint Vincent softball team improves to 9-7 on the season and 5-1 at home, while Franciscan drops to 0-10 on the year.

SVC scored a run in the bottom of the first inning in game one when sophomore Becky Deane drove in classmate Lindsey Daniels on a fielders choice. The Bearcats then erupted for a combined 11 runs in the third and fourth innings.

Deane led off the third with a single to right field and advanced to second base on a throwing error. Freshman Shannon Baczek drove Deane in with a double to deep center field and advanced to third on a single by freshman Ally Panzella. Baczek came around to score on a wild pitch before Panzella scored on an RBI groundout by senior Emily Petrowsky. A single by freshman Brianna Toth scored sophomore Megan Regula, who walked earlier in the inning, and Toth would Later scored when Daniels singled and advanced on an error by the shortstop.

In the fourth inning, Deane and Baczek walked to lead off the inning and Panzella reached on a fielding error by the third baseman. Back-to-back walks to Petrowsky and Toth led to RBIs for each before freshman Suzie Cool singled through the left side to drive in Panzella. Daniels then belted a two-run double to deep left center and junior Maria Adams notched an RBI single to center field to close out the Bearcats' scoring.

Freshman Mikele Prokopovich evened her season record at 2-2 after throwing the first 4.0 inning and allowing just three hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Sophomore Ally Vrcek pitched the final 1.0 inning, striking out the side in order.

Adams, Baczek and Daniels each collected two hits in the first game with Daniels, Petrowsky and Toth registering a pair of RBI.

SVC started the second game with nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. Daniels started the inning by reaching on an error. After Adams was hit by a pitch and Deane walked, Baczek singled to right field to drive home the game's first run. After an RBI fielder's choice by Petrowsky, Prokopovich ripped a two-run double to left center which Cool followed up with an RBI triple down the left-field line. After three-straight walks, Baczek hit a two-run single to left center to give SVC the 9-0 lead.

The Bearcats added three more runs in the fourth inning when junior Lynn Buffoni led off with a single to center field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Olivia Dongilla launched an RBI double to left center in her first at-bat of the season to score Buffoni from second. Junior Alyssa Grossman followed it up with a pinch-hit double down the left-field line before Dongilla scored on a wild pitch. Toth singled home Grossman to close out the scoring for the game.

Vrcek earned the win in game two, tossing 3.0 innings of no-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. In 4.0 innings on the day, the righty recorded 10 strikeouts. Junior lefty Shauna Hetrick tossed the final 2.0 innings, allowing one hit and striking out four Franciscan batters.

Baczek finished the second game 2-for-2 with three RBI while Cool went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored and Prokopovich drove in two runs in going 1-for-3.

The Bearcats return to action on Saturday, Mar. 24, hosting Penn State-Fayette in a doubleheader slated for a 12 p.m. start.