The Bearcat baseball team earned a 5-0 win over Castleton University in the opening game of a split doubleheader in Virginia, behind strong pitching from
Jimmy Malone.
In the second game of the day, the Bearcats lost 12-7 to Newport News Apprentice School.
Against Castleton, Malone threw 8 scoreless innings, scattering 5 hits, walking one and striking out six en route to the win (2-1).  Brenden Lavely finished the game with a scoreless 9th inning with two strikeouts.
SVC got on the board in the top of the first, when
Stone Holtzman singled with one out, moved to second when
Matt Morrone drew a walk, and scored on an
Eddie Kilkeary single.
Two innings later,
Tanner Yard singled to lead off, then moved up on another single by Holtzman.  Morrone bunted to move the runners ahead, then
Patrick McElfish drew a walk to load the bases.  Kilkeary hit into a groundout that scored Yard, then
Bobby Finn singled home another run to make it 3-0. Â Â
Later, Finn led off the 6th with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Ramon Milke. Â In the 7th, Yard singled and later scored on a wild pitch.
Holtman paced the offense with three hits, while Yard and Finn each had two hits. Â As a team, the Bearcats (4-6) had 10 hits in the game.
In game two, the Bearcats struggled defensively, committing 8 errors, losing despite a 17-hit offensive performance. Â
The Builders led 4-0 after three innings, scoring four runs (two earned) off SVC starter Milke. Â SVC got back two runs in the top of the fourth off RBI singles by
Nick LaCava and
Will Tsal.  In the fifth, SVC started the inning with singles by Yard and Holtzman.  After a Morrone sacrifice, Kilkeary doubled home both runners to tie the game, 4-4.
After two leadoff singles in the sixth by the Builders off reliever
Nick Hesselbirg, a pair of errors led to several unearned runs, and the Bearcats were unable to recover. Â SVC added three runs in the 8th inning on five hits, but it wasn't enough. Â
Kilkeary led the offense with 4 hits, driving in three runs.  Yard had three hits in the game, while
Mike Hildebrand, Morrone and Finn had two each. Â
The Bearcats are now 4-8 on the season and will face Tufts University on Sunday (March 18) at 10AM, wrapping up the Virginia trip. Â
Â