CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 6) – The Saint Vincent softball team concluded its annual PFX Spring Games in Florida. The Bearcats fell in its first game against Alverno College but rallied to defeat Elizabethtown College in game two.
 
Game 1 Recap – Alverno 8, Saint Vincent 0 (6 Inn.)
 
The Bearcats found themselves in an early hole against Alverno College as the Inferno scored the first run of the game in the second inning. In the top of the third, Alverno added another run to garner a 2-0 lead.
 
Saint Vincent threatened in the bottom half of the inning with the bases loaded but was not able to plate a runner.
 
In the fifth, the Inferno padded their lead by scoring four runs to take a 6-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, the Bearcats had its best opportunity with runners on first and third with no outs. Unfortunately, they did not convert.
 
Alverno added two more runs in the sixth and claimed the victory 8-0.
 
Riley Assalone started in the circle and went all six innings. Assalone gave up eight runs (six earned), 15 hits while striking out three.
 
Game 2 Recap – Saint Vincent 10, Elizabethtown 8
 
In the second game, Saint Vincent started the game by scoring the opening run as Alona Sleith drove a ball to centerfield allowing Sydney Gurneal to score from second.
 
In the bottom of the first, Elizabethtown answered with a two-run home run. In the second, the Bearcats tied the game as Johnna Karas singled that advanced Shae Robson to third. Robson scored on the same play, as a throwing error was committed by the second baseman.
 
Both teams were scoreless in the third, as the game remained tied at 2. In the fourth inning, Saint Vincent took the lead as Celia Knappenberger scored on a RBI single from Karas. Karas then scored as Gurneal reached on an error.
 
Trailing 4-2, Elizabethtown cut the led in half by scoring a run in the bottom half of the fourth. The Bearcats regained the two-run lead in the fifth as Knappenberger doubled to left center, plating Robson from second base.
 
In the bottom part of the inning, Elizabethtown rattled off five runs with two outs to take an 8-5 lead as the game headed to the last two frames.
 
In the sixth, Lauren Miller scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Assalone to cut the deficit to two, 8-6.
 
After holding the Blue Jays scoreless, Saint Vincent was down to its last three outs to rally and either tie or take the lead. With no outs and the bases loaded, Gurneal drew a walk that brought home Knappenberger and made it a one-run game, 8-7.
 
After an infield fly rule, Miller singled down the left field line and drove in Megan Christner and Karas. Sleith hit a sacrifice fly to left that allowed Gurneal to tag up from third and gave the Bearcats a 10-8 lead.
 
Knappenberger, who started the game for Saint Vincent, went back out to try to seal the win for Saint Vincent. After giving up a one-out double and the runner advancing to third on a ground out, Knappenberger got the final Elizabethtown batter to strike out looking. Saint Vincent won by the final of 10-8.
 
Sleith paced the Bearcats with three hits in four at-bats while driving in two runs. Knappenberger helped her own cause as she went two-for-three, with two runs and a run batted in.
 
From the circle, Knappenberger threw a complete game, giving up eight runs, two of them earned, on eight hits and four walked. Her lone strikeout was the final out of the game.
 
Saint Vincent ends its Florida trip 5-3 and returns to Latrobe, Pa., where it will host Penn State-Altoona for its home opener on Saturday, March 16. The first game in the doubleheader will start at 1 p.m.