BOX SCORE (GAME ONE)
BOX SCORE (GAME TWO)
PHOTO GALLERYThe Saint Vincent baseball team split a home-opening doubleheader against Westminster College in Presidents' Athletic Conference action. After winning game one by a score of 7-3, SVC was unable to hold a last-inning lead, falling 9-6 in the nightcap.
Steve Janik started game one on the mound for the Bearcats, retiring the first 9 batters he faced. In the bottom of the third, the Bearcats got on the board as
Aaron Burger doubled to lead off.
Dylan Kugler's sacrifice bunt attempt turned into a well-placed single, putting runners at the corners for
John Malone. Malone responded with an RBI single. After
Ben Webb walked to load the bases,
Eddie Kilkeary hit a two-run double, putting the Bearcats in front, 3-0.
In the top of the fourth, the Titans tied the game, scoring three runs on four hits, with one SVC error.
The Bearcats came right back, as Burger hit a one-out double to right in the bottom of the 4th, and later scored on another RBI single by Malone, which would prove to be the game-winning hit. SVC added three insurance runs in the 5th, with a 2-run single by Burger and a groundout by
TJ Kuny bringing home the runs.
Janik was strong in the late innings, allowing only one baserunner in the sixth that was quickly erased on a double play ball. He worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning to secure the win, scattering six hits and giving up just one earned run, walking one and striking out three to improve to 2-1 on the season.
Offensively, the 14-hit Bearcat attack was led by the top of the order, as Burger, Kugler and Malone each had three hits, while Kilkeary added two.
Michael Patsch took the hill for SVC in the second game, and the offense gave him a quick lead in the bottom of the first, as Kugler and Malone each hit one-out singles. Webb's sacrifice fly scored Kugler, putting SVC up 1-0.
In the third, Burger doubled to lead off, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kugler. Malone drove home Burger with a single, and Webb followed with a single. Kilkeary was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and
Chris Winkler then singled home a pair of runs, making it 4-0. Later in the inning,
Brennan Hoffer singled home Winkler and Kilkeary to make the score 6-0.
Westminster got on the board in the 6th inning when Jake Haubrich sent a fly ball down the left field line. The umpires conferred on whether it hit the top of the fence next to the foul pole or the pole itself, ultimately deciding it hit the foul pole for a solo home run.
The Titans entered the top of the 7th down 6-1, but received three straight singles to load the bases and chase Patsch. The Bearcat bullpen was unable to hold the runners or the lead, yielding three more hits and a walk, to go along with two SVC fielding errors. In all, the Titans scored 8 runs in the top of the 7th, and SVC was unable to respond in the bottom of the 7th.
Tyler Frankel (1-1) took the loss in relief, while Kyle McMaster went the distance for the Titan pitching victory.
Kugler, Malone and Hoffer each had two hits in game two.
With the split, SVC falls to 6-7 on the season, 1-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Westminster is now 6-7 overall, 2-1 in the PAC. Saint Vincent returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Waynesburg University in a conference doubleheader at 1PM.
