LATROBE, Pa. (March 24) – The Saint Vincent softball team moved its winning streak to 10 games with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Pitt-Greensburg, topping the visiting Bobcats by scores of 10-3 and 8-4.
Saint Vincent (10-0) racked 24 hits over the two games, including 10 for extra bases, as the Bearcats extended their best start to a season in team history.
GAME ONE – SAINT VINCENT 10, PITT-GREENSBURG 3
After UPG took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first, the Bearcats answered back in a big way in the home half with three runs. Jesssica LaPorte's two-out double scored
Abbey Ginter, who reached on an error before
Alexandra Dillner singled home LaPorte and
Leah Yoder singled home Dillner.
The Bearcats added on in the bottom of the second.
Katelyn Stokan doubled and
Mary Maceda singled to open the inning, before a fielder's choice off the bat of
Olivia Persin plated Stokan to make it 4-1. Two batters later, Ginter doubled to the fence in center field to score Persin with SVC's fifth run.
Persin drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the fourth and scored on an RBI single from LaPorte to push the lead to 6-1, before the Bobcats countered with two runs in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit in half.
Saint Vincent would then put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Persin again began things with a walk, before
Kelsey Tobin doubled to the gap in left-center. Ginter then followed with a bases-clearing, no-doubter home run down the right field line that cleared the fence with ease to up the lead to 9-3. After two outs,
Leah Yoder stroked a double to left and then scored on a bloop single to right field by
Olivia Bushore to account for the game's final run.
Eight different players recorded at least one hit for the Bearcats, with five players finishing with multi-hit games. Yoder led the way, going 3-for-4, while Tobin, Ginter, LaPorte and Dillner each went 2-for-4. Ginter drove in a game-high four RRIBs, while Persin scored three runs.
The run support was more than enough for the Bearcat pitching staff. LaPorte started and worked five innings to earn the win, allowing three runs with five strikeouts. Bushore closed out the game with two innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and striking out two.
GAME TWO – SAINT VINCENT 8, PITT-GREENSBURG 0
In the nightcap, the Bearcats did all of their damage in the bottom of the first inning, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring all eight runs.
SVC took a 1-0 lead just five pitches into the inning, as Persin led off with a single and scored on a double to the fence in center. Ginter followed with a single up the middle, moving Tobin to third, before LaPorte reached on an error to load the bases. Dillner then continued her hot afternoon with an opposite-field double to right, bringing home Tobin and Ginter and making it 3-0, before Yoder singled to right to plate LaPorte with the Bearcats' fifth run.
The Bearcats turned the lineup over, as Persin stroked her second single of the inning, this one scoring Yoder and Dillner to make it 7-0, before scoring on a two-out infield single by Ginter to give the Bearcats the 8-run lead.
While the Bearcats managed just three hits over the final four frames of the abbreviated, 5-inning game, the SVC pitchers also kept the Bobcat offense at bay. Bushore started and threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and no walks with five strikeouts.
Meghan Braun would close out the shutout with two scoreless innings, scattering three hits and striking out two.
Dillner and Tobin each went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs apiece, while Persin and Ginter both finished with two hits and three at-bats. Persin also had two RBIs and scored two runs.
The Bearcats were scheduled to return to action on Saturday, March 26, at Penn State-Altoona, but the game was postponed due to anticipated poor weather. SVC will now be back on the field on Tuesday, March 29, welcoming Juniata to Latrobe for a 3 p.m. non-conference twinbill.
The doubleheader with Penn State-Altoona has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 31.
