BOX SCORE - GAME ONE

BOX SCORE - GAME TWO

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. (Apr. 21) - Freshman Shannon Baczek hit her first career home run to break a 1-1 tie and junior Sam Shumaker scored the first run on a solo homer as the Bearcats posted a 3-1 win over Thomas More in the first game of a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader, before winning the nightcap, 3-1 also.

With the sweep, the Saint Vincent softball team improves to 21-13 this season and 10-4 in the conference. The wins, coupled with Westminster's pair of losses to Grove City yesterday, move the Bearcats into a first-place tie with the Titans heading into Tuesday's doubleheader in New Wilmington.

In the first game, Shumaker started the scoring with her fourth homer of the season to right-center field with the one out in the top of the second inning. The Saints quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning, manufacturing a run courtesy of a lead-off double where the runner advanced to third on a wild pitch and an RBI single to scratch across a run.

With one out in the top of the third inning, junior Maria Adams singled to center field. After the second out was recorded, Baczek stepped to the plate and launched her first homer of the season to center field to give the Bearcats the 3-1 lead.

After the first three runners of the bottom of the third inning reached base safely, junior Emily Lauterbach was able to work out of the jam and leave all three runners stranded to end the threat.

Lauterbach (8-3) earned the win in relief of starter junior Alyssa Grossman. She worked the final 5.0 innings surrendering four hits and allowing two walks with five strikeouts. Grossman pitched the first 2.0 innings and yielded five hits and one earned run.

Shumaker registered two of the Bearcats' five hits in the first game, with her other hit being a single. Baczek led the way with two RBI and the first homer of her career.

In the nightcap, the Saints loaded the bases in the top of the first inning against sophomore starter Ally Vrcek, but she was able to escape with no runs allowed. Sophomore Lindsey Daniels led off the home half of the first inning with a double to left center and later scored on a single to right field by Baczek, 1-0.

The game was a pitcher's duel for most of the way, with the exception of a Thomas More solo home run in the third inning, until SVC was able to add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore Becky Deane led off with a single and advanced to second on a single by Vrcek. After Deane was removed for pinch runner freshman Mikele Prokopovich, Shumaker walked to load the bases. Grossman then reached on a fielder's choice that brought home Prokopovich and Shumaker scored on a fielding error by the Thomas More shortstop, 3-1.

Vrcek (5-3) earned the win, going the distance and allowing just five hits and one run. She struck out double-digit batters the second-straight appearance, registering 10 K's to follow Thursday's 11 strikeout performance against Bethany.

Six different Bearcats tallied hits, with Shumaker reaching base twice (1-for-2, with a walk and run scored) and Daniels finishing 1-for-3 with a double and run scored.

The Bearcats return to action on Tuesday, Apr. 24, with a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader at Westminster in a match-up of the two teams tied at the top of the PAC standings heading into the regular season's final week.