CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 5) – The Saint Vincent softball team battled through the rain to complete its first sweep of the season. The Bearcats defeated Penn State-New Kensington 17-1 and followed it up with a 2-1 win over Penn State-Brandywine.
 
Game 1 Recap – Saint Vincent 17, Penn State-New Kensington 1 (5 Inn.)
 
Saint Vincent got its first game started when a pitch hit Alona Sleith with the bases loaded. Shae Robson drew a walk that brought Kelsey Tobin in from third. Abbey Ginter then reached on an error by the shortstop, Sleith and Lauren Miller both scored on the errant throw.
 
Going to the bottom of the first, the Bearcats led 4-0. Penn State-New Kensington scored in its half of the first to make it a 4-1 game.
 
The offense broke out in the second for Saint Vincent. The Bearcats scored 13 runs on six hits and seven walks. SVC cruised to the 17-1 victory from that point.
 
Robson and Ginter led the paced the team as Robson went one-for-two but drew two walks, drove in four runs while scoring twice. Ginter collected two hits in four at-bats with three runs batted in and scoring twice as well.
 
Erica Smiley picked up her second win of the season by going three innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out five.
 
Game 2 Recap – Saint Vincent 2, Penn State-Brandywine 1
 
As the rain cleared out, the Bearcats found itself in a battle with Penn State-Brandywine. Both teams were scoreless until the third when Sleith hit a single up the middle that scored Tobin.
 
Brandywine answered in the next inning to tie the game at one. The game looked to be at another stalemate when Saint Vincent started to get the offense going in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Sydeny Gurneal hit a lead off double to center. Tobin drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Lauren Miller stepped into the box and drove a ball in right field. Gurneal headed home.
 
As the throw came in from right, Gurneal slide into home. Even though the throw had gotten to the plate first, Gurneal was ruled safe as the catcher was called for obstruction.
 
Brandywine threatened in its last opportunity to tie the game. After striking out in the first two at-bats, the Lions got runners on second and third. With two outs, Celia Knappenberger got pinch hitter, Fiona Warren, to hit a ground ball right back to her to finish the game.
 
Gurneal went two-for-four and scored the winning run. Johnna Karas collected two hits in her three at-bats.
 
Knappenberger pitched a complete game victory, giving up the lone run (unearned) on two hits while sitting down 11 batters on strikes.
 
Saint Vincent (4-2) concludes its Florida trip tomorrow, March 6, as it will face Alverno then Elizabethtown College. First game is at 9 a.m. at the Hancock Field complex in Clermont, Fla.