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WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 10) - Junior Jared Haller tossed his eighth complete game of the season and didn't allow a run after the second inning as the fourth-seeded Bearcats downed top-seeded Washington & Jefferson, 7-4, in the opening game of the 2012 Presidents' Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament.

With the win, the Saint Vincent baseball team improves to 24-17 on the season and advances to the winner's bracket championship at 12 p.m. on Friday, May 11 against the winner of No. 2 Westminster and No. 3 Thomas More. W&J falls to 33-7 on the season and will face the loser of Westminster and Thomas More in an elimination game on Friday at 3 p.m.

Haller was magnificent once again, earning his third win in the Bearcats' last four games. In the process, he broke the single-season school records with his 10th win of the year and reached 89.2 innings on the season, also a program mark. Over 9.0 innings, he scattered 11 hits and four runs (all earned), with none coming after the second inning. Over 142 pitches, he walked two and struck out six to boost his record to 10-3 on the year.

SVC struck first with a run in the top of the first inning. With two outs, junior Brad Burkardt and senior Zack Galasso posted back-to-back singles and senior Erik Fichter followed with an RBI double to center field that scored Burkardt, 1-0.

W&J answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning off of Haller to take a 3-1 lead after one inning.

The two teams traded runs in the second inning as junior Andrew Kozusko belted his team-leading fourth homer of the season to right field in the top of the frame, and the Presidents manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning, 4-2.

After two-straight scoreless innings, SVC posted three runs on two hits and an error in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead, 5-4. Back-to-back singles with one out by junior Nick Beamenderfer and sophomore AJ Kavinsky brought sophomore Joey Fearer to the plate with two men on. Fearer put down a sacrifice bunt up the first base line that was fielded by W&J starting pitcher David Trushel and thrown all the way down the right-field line allowing both Beamenderfer and Kavinsky to score and Fearer to advance to third. Burkardt then drove in Fearer with an RBI ground out to give the Bearcats the lead.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, W&J loaded the bases with no outs, but Krally rallied with two strikeouts and a fielder's choice to avoid any harm.

The Bearcats added two insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning to stretch the lead to 7-4. Fearer led off with a single through the right side and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Burkardt. After Zack Galasso was walked intentionally, junior Grant Krally delivered an RBI single to center field. Following a W&J pitching change, Galasso and Krally executed a double steal, with Galasso coming home to score on a throwing error by the W&J catcher.

Haller retired five straight in the eighth and ninth innings before allowing a pinch-hit single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Beamenderfer, Krally and Kozusko each posted multi-hit performances for the Bearcats, while all but one starter collected a hit.

As with the entire 2012 PAC Tournament Friday's game against the winner of Westminster and Thomas More will be broadcast live on the PAC Sports Network which can be found at www.pacstream.net.