BOX SCORE - GAME ONE

BOX SCORE - GAME TWO

PHOTO GALLERY

The Bearcat baseball team won a pair of one-run contests at home over Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Bethany College by scores of 5-4 and 2-1.

John Malone was the hero in game one, picking up the pitching victory in relief and driving home the winning run on a walkoff hit in the bottom of the 7th inning to snap a 4-4 tie.

In game two, Steve Janik and Eddie Kilkeary shared the spotlight, with Janik throwing his second straight complete game win on the mound, while Kilkeary provided both SVC runs on one swing, a 2-run home run in the fourth inning.

Game one started well for the Bearcats, as Aaron Burger led off the bottom of the first with a single.  After a sacrifice bunt by Dylan Kugler, Malone singled home Burger for the game's first run.  An inning later, SVC doubled the lead in similar fashion, as Tyler Frankel singled home Kilkeary, who had led off with a single and moved to second a Chris Winkler sacrifice bunt.

In the fifth, the Bison got to SVC starter Dylan Pietrantoni for three runs, with a controversial double starting the rally.  Kilkeary made what appeared to be a diving catch on the first at bat of the inning.  While the Bearcats argued that the ball came loose when Kilkeary raised his glove to retrieve the ball and throw it back in to the infield, the umpires ruled it a live ball and awarded a double.  When all was said and done, the Bison tallied three runs on five hits, taking a 3-2 lead.

SVC tied the game in the bottom of the inning, with Kugler and Malone singling with one out.  With Ben Webb at the plate, a wild pitch brought home Kugler to tie the game, 3-3.  However, the visitors retook the lead in the 6th, taking advantage of back-to-back hit batsmen followed by back-to-back walks, making it 4-3.  

SVC again fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the 6th, as Kilkeary struck out to lead off, but the third strike was dropped and he hustled to first, beating the throw.  After a Winkler bunt moved Kilkeary to second, Frankel stepped to the plate.  With two strikes, he, like Kilkeary struck out swinging, but again the ball kicked away from the catcher.  The attempted throw to first sailed into right field, allowing Kilkeary to score from second with the tying run.

After Malone shut down the Bison in the top of the 7th, the Bearcats were poised to repeat the game's first inning, as Burger singled to lead off.  He then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kugler, setting the stage for Malone's game-winning single to right field.  

In game two, Janik and Bethany starter Zac Edmiston locked into a pitching duel early.  Neither team got a hit until the bottom of the third, when Burger singled to left, but SVC was unable to score, sending the game into the fourth.

Bethany got its first baserunner of the game in the top of the fourth on an infield single, but Janik closed the door on the Bison, keeping the game scoreless.

In the bottom of the 4th, Malone reached on an error to lead off, and Kilkeary deposited an Edmiston offering over the left center field fence, for his fourth home run of the season, putting the hosts in front, 2-0.

The game stayed that way until the top of the 6th, when the Bison managed to get three hits off Janik and plate one runner, cutting the lead in half.

But in the top of the 7th, Janik set the Bison down in order to wrap up his third win of the season and his second complete game in as many starts.  Janik (3-1) gave up just five hits, walked none and struck out five.  Edmiston (2-2) pitched well for Bethany, yielding just two hits but taking the loss.  

Saint Vincent is now 3-2 in the PAC, 8-7 overall.  Bethany drops to 0-6 in the conference, 4-11 overall on the season.  The two teams will square off again in a 9-inning game on Monday (March 30) at Bethany.