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CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. (May 6) - A pair of one run losses eliminated the Saint Vincent College softball team from the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament, which was hosted by Thomas More College in Kentucky. 

The defending champion Bearcats, who won four one run games last year en route to the PAC Tournament title, dropped a pair of 2-1 games on the opening day of the tournament this time around. 

The Bearcats gained early 1-0 leads in both games before ultimately falling 2-1 to both Westminster College and Thiel College. 

GAME ONE RECAP (WESTMINSTER) 

After a scoreless first inning against Westminster, the Bearcats got on the board first in the top of the second inning. Junior designated player Emily Duerr singled to start the frame, before Kelsey Hunter reached on a fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt.

Senior third baseman Kelsey Lineberger smashed a double that one hopped the left center field fence, bringing home Morgan Murphy, who was pinch running for Duerr. The Lineberger two-base knock gave the Bearcats a 1-0 advantage. However, Hunter was thrown out at the plate after a perfect relay throw by the Titans. Westminster starter Jazmyn Rohrer was able to strike out the next two Bearcats to limit the damage. 

Saint Vincent left a runner in scoring position in the third and two more in the fourth, unable to tack on insurance runs. In the fourth, senior pitcher Samantha Emert singled and junior shortstop Rachel Harenchar drilled a double to the left center field gap, putting a pair in scoring position with two outs. However, Rohrer struck out the next Bearcat to keep the score 1-0. 

The score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth inning when Titans designated player Emiley Westfall cracked a leadoff home run off of the left field scoreboard to tie the game at 1-1. Westminster put runners at the corners before Emert worked out of the jam and kept things tied.

SVC went quietly in the top of the seventh inning and set up things for a Westminster walk-off. The Titans used a one-out walk and a bunt base hit  to put runners on the corners. It was Westfall who laced a single to shallow right field for the game-winning hit for the Titans. 

Westminster out-hit SVC by a 7-6 margin. The Bearcats had six players record one hit each, while Westminster was led by Westfall and Hannah Ritter, who both tallied two hits each. 

Emert suffered the loss, working 6.1 innings in the contest before the walk-off hit. Emert allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out three Westminster batters. The Rockwood, Pa. native is 15-7 in the circle on the season. 

Rohrer improved to 17-3 for the season for Westminster. Rohrer struck out nine and did not issue a walk. 

GAME TWO RECAP (THIEL)

Facing elimination, Saint Vincent once again got out to an early lead against the Tomcats. In the top of the first, junior Courtney Patterson doubled and scored on an RBI single by Duerr. The Bearcats had a chance to add more runs but left runners on the corners, settling for a 1-0 lead after the first inning. 

Freshman Vanessa Falce had the big hit for Thiel, bringing home two runs with a two-out single up the middle, making it 2-1 Tomcats in the third. 

Perhaps the Bearcats best opportunity to tie the game came in the bottom of the third. SVC collected three hits and a walk in the inning but left the bases loaded. 

The Bearcats could never come up with the big hit, as they left nine runners on base in game two and 14 total on the day. 

The PAC's leading hitter, Shelby Noel, recorded two hits in the contest. 

Emert took another tough loss in game two, allowing just two runs on six hits in 7.0 innings of work. The standout finished her senior season with a 15-8 record in the circle.

The loss concludes the Bearcats season with a 18-16 overall record. Thiel improves to 17-19 overall and moves onto another elimination game Sunday morning.

Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Bearcat senior class put together a 93-56 career record. The group helped lead SVC to its first ever PAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016. The group helped the program claim the first ever NCAA Tournament victory in any sport for Saint Vincent College athletics. 

Emert finishes her brilliant four-year run with a 53-28 career record and a 1.45 Earned Run Average in the circle. 

NOTE: Following the conclusion of the PAC Tournament on Sunday, Emert was named to the PAC All-Tournament Team. Despite suffering two losses, Emert put together a 2.10 Earned Run Average over 13.1 innings.