LATROBE, Pa. (March 5) – The Saint Vincent softball team opened up the 2022 in fine fashion, earning a doubleheader sweep over visiting Penn State-Greater Allegheny.
In the opener, Saint Vincent shrugged off an early 1-0 deficit by scoring 10 unanswered runs and earning 10-1, 5-inning victory. The Bearcats again invoked the run rule in game two, while starter Olivia Bushore recorded 10 strikeouts in her collegiate debut, in an 8-0, 5-inning win.
GAME 1 – SAINT VINCENT 10, PENN STATE-GREATER ALLEGHENY 1
The visiting Lions jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, and after being held scoreless over their first two at-bats, the Bearcats sent nine batters to the plate in a 4-run bottom of the third.
Mary Maceda got things started with a single up the middle, before Leah Yoder singled to left to put runners on first and second. Olivia Persin then racked her second triple of the day to plate Maceda and Yoder to give SVC a 2-1 lead. Kelsey Tobin followed with a sacrifice fly, and after a Lion error, Haley Bicko cracked a two-run single to right-center to push the lead to 4-1.
The Bearcat bats stayed hot in the bottom of the fourth. Tobin made it a 5-1 game with an RBI double, before Abbey Ginter cracked a three-run, no-doubt homer to center field. On the very next pitch, Jessica LaPorte followed suit, smacking a laser over the fence in left-center for her first career home run, making the score 8-1.
Saint Vincent put the game away in the bottom of the fifth. Rachel Mason led off with a single, before Emma Torretti drew a walk. After a grounder from Katie Muro moved each runner up 60 feet, Persin ended the game with a two-run single through the left side to account for the 10-1 final score.
All nine SVC starters recorded at least one hit, led by Persin's 3-hit, 4-RBI effort. Maceda and Katelyn Stokan each finished 2-for-2.
LaPorte earned the 5-inning, complete-game win in the circle, allowing one run on three hits with nine strikeouts.
GAME TWO – SAINT VINCENT 8, PENN STATE-GREATER ALLEGHENY 0
Saint Vincent kept the momentum to begin the nightcap, striking for two early runs in the bottom of the first. With one out, Persin walked, before Tobin smacked a book-rule double to left field. Ginter followed with a two-bagger of her own to plate Persin and Tobin to make it 2-0.
The Bearcats added on in the bottom of the third, Yoder singled and Persin doubled to open the inning, before an RBI groundout from Ginter plated Yoder to give SVC a 3-0 lead. LaPorte then made it a 4-0 game with an RBI single to left to bring home Persin.
After being kept off the board in the fourth and fifth innings, the Bearcats put the game away with a 4-run sixth. LaPorte singled and Mackenzie Larimer reached on an error to begin the inning, before Bicko's smacked her second RBI single of the day to open up a 5-0 lead. Two batters later, Yoder smacked a two-run double, before Persin closed out her solid afternoon with a two-run single to left to close out the 8-0 win.
In her first career start, Bushore earned the complete game shutout in the circle, scattering three hits and striking out 10 batters without issuing a walk.
Saint Vincent's offense totaled nine hits in the win, with Persin, Yoder and LaPorte each turning in 2-for-3 days at the plate.
The Bearcats are now scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, March 9, traveling to Mount Aloysius for a 3 p.m., non-conference twinbill.
