LATROBE, Pa. – The Saint Vincent baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Thomas More at Bearcat Ballfield, using a late rally to pick up a 5-2 win in the opener, before the bats fell cold in the nightcap, a 4-2 Thomas More win.

After the split, Saint Vincent's record moves to 17-11 on the season, while the Saints ended the day with a 12-15 mark. 

Game One: Saint Vincent 5, Thomas More 2

The Bearcats used a late rally and some strong pitching to defeat Thomas More 5-2 in the opening game of a non-conference doubleheader at Bearcat Ballfield.
 
Tied at two in the sixth, the Bearcats sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs on five hits to take a three-run lead. Facing their last at-bats in the top of the seventh, the Saints threatened, loading the bases with two out. Saint Vincent's Jimmy Malone would then come out of the bullpen to leave the sacks full by striking out the final batter and earning his first save of the season.
 
Matt Morrone and TJ Dailey each went 2-for-4 at the plate, with Dailey hitting a triple and adding two RBIs. Saint Vincent out-hit Thomas More 10-9 for the game, with eight different Bearcats finding the hit column.
 
Zach Barberich started for SVC and was strong, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing just two runs on six hits, with three strikeouts. Barberich was one of four pitchers used by the green and gold, as Ben Davis threw an inning and a third of scoreless relief, striking out two. Matt Evans retired two batters in the top of the seventh, before giving way to Malone, who shut the door.
 
After the two teams combined for just four base runners over the first three innings, the SVC offense came to life in the bottom of the fourth. Morrone led off with a single to right field and moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Bobby Finn. An RBI single from Ramon Milke brought home Morrone with the first run of the game with a single to right center, before Dailey tripled to the fence in center to plate Milke and give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead.
 
Thomas More answered right back, tying the game with two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI double from Matt Wellbrock and a sacrifice fly from Aiden Reverman.
 
The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth, when the Bearcat bats came back to life. Morrone and Finn hit back-to-back singles to open the frame, and each moved up 90 feet on a Ramon Milke bunt. With the infield drawn in, Nick LaCava laced a sharp single to center to plate Morrone, before Dailey followed suit with another single to center to bring home Finn. Two batters later, Shane Fajt smacked SVC's third single of the inning to plate LaCava and give SVC the 5-2 lead.
 
The Saints wouldn't go quietly in the seventh, loading the bases on two walks and a single, before Malone ended the threat with a strikeout to clinch the win.
 
For the Saints, Bailey Martin and Brady Reynolds each had two hits. Jordan Houze started and took the loss for Thomas More, working 5.1 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits with two Ks.

Game Two: Thomas More 4, Saint Vincent 2

In game two, the Bearcats took a quick lead in the bottom of the first when Tanner Yard led off with a single, moved to second on Stone Holtzman's sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single to left by Finn.
 
The Saints came right back to score a single tally in the top of the second, before taking a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third.
 
Saint Vincent cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the third. Holtzman opened the frame with a single to center, and two batters later, moved to third on a double to the center field fence from Finn. Barberich's RBI groundout to the right side plated Holtzman to make it a one-run game, 3-2.
 
Thomas More added its final insurance run of the game in the top of the fifth, with Joshua Boeckman crossing home after an errant throw to second base on a stolen base.
 
The Bearcats were unable to answer back, as after Finn's double in the third, Thomas More pitcher Joey Weller retired nine straight Saint Vincent hitters, with four strikeouts over the span. Weller gave way to closer Justin Ward, who nailed down his sixth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
 
Jarrett Noel started on the mound and took the loss for SVC, allowing three runs on five hits in two innings of work. He struck out two. Casey Jones threw two scoreless innings, while Ramon Milke and Paul Perman each threw a shutout inning apiece.
 
Offensively, Saint Vincent managed just four hits in the game, with Finn owning the lone multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-3.
 
Weller earned the win for the Saints, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts in five innings of work.
 
The Bearcats will now have a three-day respite before returning to non-conference action with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Penn State-Altoona on Wednesday, April 16 at Bearcat Ballfield.