PHOTO GALLERYThe SVC softball team split a Presidents' Athletic Conference home doubleheader against Washington & Jefferson, with both games dominated by strong pitching. W&J won the opener 1-0 before SVC earned a 2-1 victory in the second game.
Samantha Emert (9-3) threw a three-hitter in game one, but one of those hits was a second inning solo home run by W&J's Jamie Smith, which proved to be the difference in the game. The Bearcats managed just four hits off Krista McCartney and were unable to score.
In game two,
Emily Duerr started in the circle for Saint Vincent, and received an early lead courtesy of
Kelsey Hunter, who hit her first career home run in the bottom of the 2nd inning.
The Presidents came right back in the top of the third, scoring a run on three singles to tie the game.
The game remained 1-1 until the bottom of the sixth, when W&J lifted pitcher Taylor Andres, who had given up just three hits, in favor of game one starter McCartney.
Sarah Swettlen greeted the new pitcher with a single to left, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Courtney Patterson.
Shelby Noel then hit a line drive back at the pitcher, which caromed off her glove into center field for a hit, allowing Swettlen to score the go-ahead run.
W&J loaded the bases with one out in the top of the 7th, but Duerr struck out a batter to move the game to the final out, then induced a groundout to end the contest.
Duerr (9-3) scattered 6 hits, walked one and struck out three.
Saint Vincent is now 18-8 overall, 6-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
