AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 9) – Behind 6 1/3 stellar innings from starter Jeremy Kreuzwieser, Saint Vincent defeated Dominican University, 6-2, to improve to 5-2 on the young season.
 
Over his 100-pitch outing, Kreuzwieser allowed just two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts, before giving way to the duo of Jacob Hess and Alex Polito, who combined to throw 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relieve to preserve the win.
 
Dominican (6-4) had the first scoring threat in the bottom of the second, loacing the bases on a double, infield single and walk, before Kreuzweiser ended the inning with a strikeout.
 
In the top of the third, SVC looked poised to get on the scoreboard first, with Jayke Saiani singling and Casey Jones walking to open the inning. After an Alex Hess sacrifice bunt moved both runers into scoring position, Dominican hurler Payton Brooks got out trouble with a strikeout and groundout.
 
After Kreuzweiser struck out the side in the bottom of the third, the Bearcats finally cracked the scoreboard in the top half of the fourth. Connor Bannias, Billy Perroz and Dalton Nicklow each singled to load the bases, before Zack VonStein's grounder to third plated Nicklow with the game's first run. Saiani then came through with his second hit of the day, a line drive single to right that plated Perroz. Casey Jones reached on an error, bringing home Nicklow, before another RBI groundout, this one by Alex Hess, plated Saiani to make it 4-0.
 
The Stars got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, using a walk, single, and two fly balls to cut the gap to 4-1, but SVC added on in the top of the sixth, as Perroz drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on a VonStein single to right.
 
Kreuzwieser struck out the leadoff man in the top of the seventh, but then allowed a single and walk. Hess was summoned out of the bullpen and limited the damage, allowing only a one-out sacrifice fly that made it 5-2.
 
The Bearcats closed the game's scoring in the top of the eighth. Nicklow opened the inning by reaching on an error and stole second base. With one out, he stole third base, and the throw back to the pitcher sailed wide, allowing Nicklow to scamper home with SVC's sixth and final run.
 
After Jacob Hess struck out a pair of batters in the bottom of the eighth, Polito pitched around a leadoff walk in the ninth by inducing a 6-4-3 double play. He would then record the game's final out on a groundball to the first baseman Perroz to seal the SVC win.
 
Six different players recorded at least one hit for the Bearcats, led by Saiani's 2-for-4 effort. Jones was on base three times, as he singled and walked, in addition to reaching via error.
 
Brooks worked 6.0 innings and took the loss for Dominican, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.  
 
Saint Vincent will now close out its week in Florida with a 9 a.m. doubleheader on Saturday, March 10, against Dickinson College at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale.