The Bearcats lost a pair of non-conference games to Penn State-Altoona Lions at Bearcat Ballfield by scores of 9-4 and 16-3.
The Lions captured game one thanks to a 5-run inning in the top of the 7th, breaking a 4-4 tie.
Altoona scored three times in the top of the first off SVC starter
Ryan Shirley, with a walk, a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly. After that, Shirley settled down, and battled Altoona's Aaron Smith in a pitcher's duel.
Smith kept SVC off the board until the 4th, when a pair of errors helped SVC to score a pair of runs. With two outs,
Bobby Finn singled, and
Eddie Kilkeary reached on an error, putting two runners on.
Brady Duricko followed with a grounder that was misplayed, then the throw to first was wide, allowing both runners to score.
The Bearcats tied the game in the 5th, as
Parker Janosko led off with a walk then moved up on a sacrifice bunt by
Mike Hildebrand.
Stone Holtzman then singled home Janosko to make it a 3-3 game.
In the 6th, a hit batsman was followed with a pair of outs, but a single put two runners on and Shirley was replaced by Nick Hessilbirg. After a walk, the go-ahead run came home on a wild pitch.
SVC came right back in the bottom of the sixth, as Kilkeary walked and moved to second when Duricko reached on an error.
Nick LaCava was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, Hildebrand singled to center, scoring Kilkeary, tying the game at 4-4.
However, the Lions first four batters all came up with hits - a double, a triple, and a pair of singles - off reliever
Jarrett Noel.
Ryan Rojtas came out of the bullpen to get out of the inning, but not before two more hits were added, leading to a total of 5 runs.
SVC struggled from the outset in game two, yielding runs in 6 of 7 innings while managing just four hits offensively.
James Borkowski had a 2-run single for the Bearcats.
Fred Gillespie (1-4) worked the first three innings, giving up 2 earned runs and taking the loss.
Saint Vincent is now 12-16 overall for the season, while Penn State-Altoona improves to 10-17.