BOX SCORE

WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 9) - The fourth-seeded Saint Vincent baseball team dropped the opening game of the 2013 Presidents' Athletic Conference Baseball Championship, 14-3, to top-seeded Washington & Jefferson at Ross Memorial Park.

With the loss, the Bearcats drop to 18-19 on the season and will face second-seeded Thiel at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 10 in the first elimination game of the tournament. W&J improves to 28-11 and faces third-seed Thomas More, a 14-1 winner over Thiel, at 12 p.m.

SVC got on the board in the first inning with a solo homer by Joey Fearer, 1-0.

W&J responded with three runs in the third inning, but the Bearcats answered with a run in the top of the fourth, 3-2. Jordan Britcher doubled to right center with one out and scored on an RBI single by Vince Murphy.

The Presidents broke the game open with nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. They added one run in each of the seventh and eighth innings to post the 14 runs.

SVC added a run in the top of the ninth for the final 14-3 margin. Britcher led off with a double to deep center and Grant Krally singled to right field to put runners on the corners with no outs. Britcher scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Murphy.

Gary Gerhardt started and suffered the loss, allowing nine runs (five earned) in 5.2 innings. He allowed nine hits and walked four with no strikeouts. Alex Kozusko, John Malone, Eamon Kelly and Steve Janik combined for the final 2.1 innings out of the bullpen.