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The Saint Vincent softball team opened Presidents' Athletic Conference action for the season with a pair of wins over visiting Geneva College, 5-4 and 14-1.
In game one, SVC's
Victoria Culver led off the bottom of the first with a single, then moved to second when
Courtney Patterson drew a walk. Â Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, then a fielding error put
Shelby Noel on base and allowed Culver to score. Â
Lauren Miller grounded out, scoring Patterson, making it 2-0 in favor of the Bearcats. Â
With two out in the second,
Morgan Murphy was hit by a pitch, then Culver drew a walk. Â Patterson singled home Murphy, and Noel later singled home Culver, putting SVC in front, 4-0.
After Geneva got a pair of runs in the third inning off SVC starter
Alona Sleith,
Emily Duerr led off the bottom of the inning with a single. Â Duerr advanced on a wild pitch, and later scored on an error with an insurance run. Â
The run would prove to be important, as Geneva scored two runs on four hits in the fourth inning to make it a one-run game, 5-4. Â However, Sleith retired the Golden Tornadoes in order in the final three innings, securing the win.
Sleith (3-1) went the distance, striking out seven. Â Patterson led the offense with 2 of the team's five hits. Â
Geneva scored in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead in game two, but Culver once again got SVC started in the bottom of the first with a single.  Patterson laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Culvert, then Noel doubled off the right field fence, scoring Culver to tie the game.  After Miller drew a walk, Sleith grounded into a fielder's choice, taking over first base and moving Noel to third.  Duerr then singled home Noel to give SVC the lead, 2-1.   Â
After both runners advanced on a wild pitch,
Kelsey Hunter was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and
Shae Robson singled home two runs to make it 4-1.
An inning later, Culver again led off with a single, but was erased on a fielder's choice that put Patterson aboard at first.  Noel doubled to right center, moving Patterson to third, then Miller walked to load the bases.  Sleith cleared the bases with a three-run double, making the score 7-1.  Sleith later scored on a wild pitch to give the Bearcats a seven-run lead.
SVC broke the game open in the fourth inning, as Noel led off by reaching on an error, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Â Miller singled, moving Noel to third, then Sleith followed with a three-run home run, her 6th of the season. Â Hunter doubled with one out, then scored on a pinch-hit, two-out single by
Erica Smiley.
Ashley Brady and Patterson followed with a pair of singles, loading the bases. Â
Morgan Rittenhouse singled home two more runs, making it a 14-1 game. Â
Riley Assalone finished the 5-inning complete game with a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
SVC had 15 hits in the game, and Sleith had a career-high 6 RBI. Â Assalone (4-0) gave up just three hits and walked three.
The Bearcats are now 11-3 overall on the season. Â
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