LATROBE, Pa. (April 6) – The Saint Vincent softball team picked up a home doubleheader sweep over Franciscan University to improve to 15-1 overall and 4-0 in Presidents' Athletic Conference play.

In game one, Saint Vincent won 8-0 in five innings, while in the nightcap, the Bearcats claimed defeated the Barons 14-6 in six innings.

GAME ONE – SAINT VINCENT 8, FRANCISCAN 0

Saint Vincent starter Olivia Bushore pitched around a pair of singles in the top of the first inning in game one, and then received all the offensive support she would need in the home half of the inning. With two outs, Abbey Ginter smashed a triple to straightaway center field, before Jessica LaPorte blasted an opposite-field home run to right-center to give the hosts an early 2-0 lead.

The Bearcats added on with three more runs on four hits in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Olivia Persin and a two-run single by Ginter to make it 5-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, Ginter racked her third hit of the game with a single to center, before LaPorte reached on an error. A fly ball to right off of the bat of Leah Yoder was misplayed, bringing home Ginter with the Bearcats' sixth run of the game and Katelyn Stokan laced a single to right to plate Yoder and Rachel Mason, who was pinch-running for LaPorte, with SVC's seventh and eighth runs.

Bushore then completed her abbreviated shutout with a scoreless top of the fifth to seal the Bearcat win.

Ginter led the Bearcats' nine-hit attack, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. In all, seven different players recorded at least one hit.

Bushore improved to 6-0 on the season and recorded her third complete-game shutout, scattering five hits and striking out six in five innings of work.

GAME TWO – SAINT VINCENT 14, FRANCISCAN 6

In the nightcap, Franciscan tallied three first-inning hits, including two doubles, to jump out to an early 2-0 lead, before tacking on an unearned run in the top of the third to make it 3-0.

Saint Vincent answered with two runs in the bottom of the second, as Ginter continued her strong afternoon with a two-run home run, an opposite-field, line-drive blast to left, to make it 3-2. It was Ginter's third home run in four games, and fifth of the season.

The Barons countered with two more unearned runs in the top of the fourth to open up a 5-2 lead, but the Bearcats responded in a big way in the bottom of the fourth.

Yoder opened the inning by reaching on a two-base error, before she was promptly plated on a Stokan double to the corner in left to make it 5-3. Haley Bicko followed with a two-base hit of her own to score Stokan, before Katie Muro came through with a single over the first base bag to score Bicko with the tying run. Two batters later, Persin singled through the right side, before Kelsey Tobin followed with SVC's third double of the inning to bring Muro around with the go-ahead run.   

The Bearcats were hardly finished. A Ginter sacrifice fly brought home Persin to give SVC a 7-5 lead, before LaPorte singled to left to bring home Tobin and make it 8-5. Yoder would then reach on another error, and Stokan would follow with her second double of the inning to bring home a pair of runs and increase the SVC advantage to 10-5. Bicko would follow suit, smacking her second double of the frame to the right field corner to bring home Stokan with the Bearcats' ninth run of the inning and 11th of the game.

The Barons answered with a single run in the top of the fifth to make it 11-6, but the Bearcats closed out the win by scoring three times in the bottom half of the sixth. LaPorte singled and Yoder doubled, putting runners on second and third for Stokan, who recorded her third run-scoring hit of the day with a two-run single to right. Meghan Braun would then close out the SVC win with a single to right to bring home Stokan and account for the 14-6 final score.

Nine different players recorded a hit for SVC, while five Bearcats recorded multi-hit games. Stokan led the charge, going 4-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Bicko and LaPorte each went 3-for4, Ginter went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Tobin 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Bicko started on the mound and earned the win, allowing five runs (two earned) on eight hits in four innings of work. Braun threw the final two frames and allowed one run on three hits.

The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, April 9, traveling to Pittsburgh to face PAC foe Chatham in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.