PITTSBURGH (March 19) – The Saint Vincent College softball team improved to 6-0 on the season with a doubleheader sweep at La Roche University.
In the opener, eight different Bearcats recorded at least one hit in an 11-3 win, while in game two, the Bearcats broke open a tight game with a seventh inning rally to defeat La Roche (4-4) 8-1.
GAME ONE: SAINT VINCENT 11, LA ROCHE 3
The Bearcats got off to a fast start in the opener, scoring two runs in the top of the first, as Olivia Persin led off with a single before Jessica LaPorte smacked her second home run of the season with a shot to center field.
Saint Vincent added on with a run in the top of the third, taking a 3-0 lead when Alexandra Dillner doubled home Abbey Ginter, who drew a one-out walk.
After La Roche made it a one-run game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, Saint Vincent exploded for eight runs in the top of the fifth, sending 11 batters to the plate. Ginter, LaPorte, Haley Bicko and Olivia Goodwin all had RBI singles in the inning to give the Bearcats an 11-3 lead.
Saint Vincent added on with one run in the top of the fifth, with Persin hitting a leadoff single and scoring on a double by Kelsey Tobin, to close out the game's scoring.
Olivia Bushore earned her second complete game victory of the year in the circle, allowing three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.
Offensively, Dillner finished a perfect 3-for-3, while Persin and LaPorte each finished 2-for-3. Persin scored three runs, while LaPorte drove in three and scored twice.
Ashtin Hoover and Kelly Denk each had two hits for La Roche. Carlie Dillon started in the circle for the Redhawks and took the loss, allowing nine runs on six hits in 3.1 innings.
GAME TWO: SAINT VINCENT 8, LA ROCHE 1
Saint Vincent again took an early lead in the nightcap. Persin opened the game with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tobin and scored on an RBI single to right by LaPorte. After a Dillner single, Bicko reached on an error that allowed LaPorte to score and put the Bearcats up 2-0. Two innings later, SVC made it 3-0 when Dillner, who singled, came home on a double to left by Katelyn Stokan.
La Roche used a single and a pair of stolen bases in the fourth to cut the SVC lead to 3-1, which is how the score would remain until the Bearcats batted around and scored four two-out runs in the top of the seventh.
With one out, Persin singled, before Ginter followed with a one-base hit to put runners at the corners. After a two-out double by LaPorte scored Persin, Dillner followed with a two-bagger to bring home LaPorte and Ginter and make it 6-1. Bicko kept the inning alive with an infield single, before Stokan put the exclamation point on the win with a double that plated Dillner and Bicko with the game's final runs.
Dillner again recorded three hits, while scoring twice and driving inn two RBIs, while Persin, LaPorte and Stokan finished 2-for-3.
Along with her two-hit game at the plate, LaPorte went all seven innings in the circle, allowing just one run on seven hits with five strikeouts.
La Roche's Dillon was saddled with her second loss of the day, as she went all seven innings and gave up eight runs on 11 hits with three Ks. Hoover was the lone Redhawk with multiple hits, going 2-for-4.
The Bearcats will return to action on Monday, March 21, traveling north to take on Penn State-Dubois in a 4 p.m. doubleheader. Originally scheduled for Sunday, March 20, the twinbill was pushed back a day due to expected unfavorable weather conditions.
