NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Mar. 19)- The Saint Vincent baseball team concluded their four-game series in Newport News with an 8-6 loss to the Apprentice School.
 
Despite scoring three runs in the eighth inning and one run in the ninth the Bearcats were unable to overcome the 8-2 deficit as they fell just short to the Builders.
 
Michael Klingensmith led the way for SVC finishing a single shy of the cycle. Klingensmith went 3-4 with a double, triple, and homerun, while also scoring two runs and recording two RBI's in the loss. Jordan Sabol and Devin Bonine added two hits and one run scored each for the Bearcats.
 
Owen Kitts, Jayke Saiani, and Dimitri Gary all had one hit in the loss as well. Gary added two RBI's and Saiani had one as well for Saint Vincent.
 
Tristan Bedillion took the loss on the mound for SVC. Bedillion pitched 2.1 innings, giving up six runs, five earned runs on four hits, while also walking five batters as well. Joshua Dailey, Cody May, and Klingensmith combined for three innings in relief, shutting out the Builders over those three innings, while allowing just two hits.
 
After the Bearcats threatened to score in the top of the first, they were held off the scoreboard. The Builders plated one run in the bottom half of the inning to take an early 1-0 lead.
 
The game remained 1-0 after a scoreless second inning. In the third inning, the Bearcats tied the game up. Sabol led off the inning with a single and stole second base. After a strikeout, Billy Perroz walked, and Sabol advanced to third on a wild pitch and the Bearcats were in business.
 
Saiani followed with his RBI single, scoring Sabol to tie the game up at 1-1. The Bearcats were limited to just the one run in the inning as the contest headed to the bottom of the third.
 
It wouldn't remain tied for long as the Builders offense came through clutch with five runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead. After a scoreless fourth inning the Apprentice School added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth as they increased their lead to 8-1.
 
Saint Vincent wouldn't go down without a fight as the Bearcats started to chip away at the Builders lead in the sixth inning. After two quick outs to start the inning, Klingensmith smacked a solo homerun to right field to cut the Apprentice School lead to 8-2.
 
The seventh inning was scoreless for both teams, but Saint Vincent once again continued to cut into the Builders lead in eighth. With one out in the eighth Klingensmith doubled to centerfield, Alex Hess followed with a walk, and Kitts reached on a fielding error as the Bearcats loaded the bases with just one out.
 
L.J. Evans pinch hit and hit an RBI groundout to first base, scoring Klingensmith as the Bearcats cut the lead to 8-3. Gary followed with a two out two-RBI single up the middle to cut the Apprentice School lead to 8-5 heading into the ninth inning.
 
In the ninth inning, Bonine led off for the Bearcats with a double to left field and Derek Hald followed with a walk as the tying run came to the plate. After the Bearcats grounded into a double play, Klingensmith continued his big day with an RBI triple that scored Bonine, cutting the Builders lead to 8-6.
 
The Saint Vincent rally ended as Klingensmith was stranded at third and the Builders defeated the Bearcats to conclude the four-game series.
 
The Bearcats will travel back home and enjoy a day off before they travel to Cresson, Pa. for a doubleheader against Mount Aloysius on Tuesday, March 21. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mount Aloysius.
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