The Bearcat baseball team opened Presidents' Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader split on the road in New Wilmington against Westminster College. SVC won game one by an 11-3 margin before falling 7-5 in the second game.
SVC was led by
Bobby Finn and
Jimmy Malone in the opener, as Finn drove in 6 runs while Malone improved to 3-1 on the year with a complete game on the mound.
Tanner Yard started the game with a hit batsman, then moved to second on a single by
Stone Holtzman.
Matt Morrone's sacrifice bunt attempt turned into an infield single, loading the bases. Finn then delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Yard, and Holtzman scored on a throwing error after the catch. The lead grew to 3-0 after an RBI single by
Patrick McElfish.
A pair of errors in the second led to a fourth SVC run, before Westminster got on the board in the bottom of the third, reaching Malone for three hits and a pair of runs.
However, the Bearcats came right back in the top of the 4th inning. With one out, Yard reached on an infield single, then moved to second on an error that allowed Holtzman to reach base. Morrone added another infield single to load the bases, and Finn followed with a grand slam over the left field fence that made the score 8-2. After singles by
Eddie Kilkeary and
Ramon Milke, the Bearcats added to the lead on an attempted double steal. Before Milke was tagged for an out, Kilkeary stole home to give SVC a 9-2 lead.
In the seventh inning, Kilkeary led off with a double, then moved to third on a single by McElfish. A squeeze bunt by
Parker Janosko scored Kilkeary. SVC's final run scored an inning later, when the team again loaded the bases for Finn. This time, he drew a walk to score the Bearcats' 11th run of the game.
Malone scattered 9 hits, walking two and striking out seven en route to the win. SVC had 14 hits in the game, with Holtzman leading the way with three. Yard, Morrone, Kilkeary, Milke and McElfish had two each.
In game two, the Bearcats fell behind early and rallied late, but fell short by a pair of runs.
SVC starter
Matt Whittaker (1-2) kept the Titans off the board through the first 4 innings, as the Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by
Joe Rudzinski. His hit brought home McElfish, who had singled then advanced on a passed ball and an error.
The hosts stormed back in the middle innings, with a home run leading to three runs in the 5th then adding 4 more in the sixth off Whittaker and reliever
Brenden Lavely.
Down 7-2, SVC added a pair of runs in the top of the 7th on a 2-run single by Holtzman. In the 9th, Milke had an RBI single with two outs, but the Bearcats were unable to continue the rally.
Milke had three hits in game two, while Holtzman and McElfish had two each.
Ben Davis threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for Saint Vincent.
Saint Vincent is now 5-9 overall, while Westminster is 6-5. Both teams are 1-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
The Bearcats are set to return to action on Tuesday (March 27) at home against Mount Aloysius College, weather permitting, in a doubleheader.
