LATROBE, PA - Behind eight shutout innings from senior starter Tom Bash, Saint Vincent College punched its ticket to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with a 2-0 victory over visiting Bethany at Bearcat Ballfield.
 
Bash improved to 6-1 on the season after working eight scoreless innings and allowing just six hits and no walks while striking out seven. Classmate Matt Evans came on to record the game's final three outs in the top of the ninth inning to record his fifth save of the year and preserve the shutout win.
 
Keeping up his end of the pitcher's duel, Bethany starter Mark Lavezza was equally as impressive as his Saint Vincent counterparts, as he allowed just two runs (one earned) on three hits, with four strikeouts and two walks to take the hard-luck loss.
 
The Bearcats first found the scoreboard in the bottom of the second, using the hustle of Jayke Saiani. The sophomore led off with a single to right field, before moving to third on a pair of stolen bases. With two outs, he scampered home on a wild pitch to give the hosts the one-run lead.
 
In the top of the third, Bethany's Ryan Anselmino became the first Bison runner to reach scoring position, but was stranded at third on an inning-ending strikeout by Bash.
 
Saint Vincent again used hustle to score an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. With two down, TJ Dailey laced a double to the fence in right. Saiani followed with a ground ball to third. The throw to first was wild and skittered to the Bethany bullpen, allowing Dailey to scamper home from second base to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead.
 
After stranding single runners in both the fifth and sixth, the Bison threatened again in the top of the seventh. With one out, Kevin Roach reached on an error, before Kevin Roell dropped down a base hit bunt to put runners at first and second. Bash then recorded a strikeout for the inning's second out, before Bethany's Michael Whiteherse laced a sharp single to left field. SVC left fielder Tim Beimel charged the ball and delivered a bullet to the plate, forcing Roach to remain at third, and Bash would subsequently induce a ground out to second base to escape the inning and preserve the shutout.
 
After Evans and Dailey were each stranded on base after singling in the bottom of the eighth, Tyler Alworth led off the Bethany half of the ninth with a sharp single to left, ending Bash's day. Evans would then make the trot from second base to the mound and calmly get three straight ground outs to end the game and seal the win.
 
Bethany, the 2019 PAC Championship Tournament runner-up, now ends its season with a 16-22 overall record.
 
The winner of the Saint Vincent/Bethany matchup determined the fourth and final team to qualify for the PAC Championship Tournament, to be held May 13-16 in Washington, Pennsylvania. Fourth-seeded Saint Vincent will now be making its second trip to the conference tourney in three years, and will open up play on Thursday at 1 p.m. against host and top seed Washington & Jefferson.