DAVENPORT, Florida (Mar. 7)- The Saint Vincent baseball team fell in Florida to Gwynedd Mercy by a final score of 8-3.
 
The Bearcats got off to a hot start, scoring two runs in the first inning, but the Griffins outscored Saint Vincent 6-1 over the final eight innings to hand the Bearcats their second straight loss.
 
Dalton Nicklow and Jordan Sabol led the way for the Bearcats as each had three hits. Nicklow also scored two runs and Sabol scored once in the loss for Saint Vincent. Jimmy Davis, Derek Hald, and Billy Perroz each had one hit as well. Perroz added two RBI's as well in the game.
 
Andrew Root took the loss on the mound for the Bearcats, pitching 3.2 innings, giving up five runs, four earned runs on five hits. Root also struck out four Griffins and walked eight in his first outing of the season. In relief, Tyler Wood threw 2.1 innings of work, giving up two earned runs on six hits, while striking out one and walking one.
 
Jacob Hess, Alex Polito, and Michael Klingensmith each through one inning in relief as well. The three relievers gave up just one run on three hits, while striking out three in their three innings of work combined.
 
It was a hot start offensively by both teams as each team plated two runs in the first inning. After the Griffins plated their two runs in the top half of the inning, the Bearcats scored their runs on a Perroz sacrifice fly that scored Sabol and followed that with Nicklow scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game up at the end of the first inning.
 
After a quiet second inning, the Griffins scored another run and held the Bearcats in check as Saint Vincent trailed 3-2 heading into the fourth inning.
 
Gwynedd Mercy opened the game up in the next two innings. The Griffins plated two runs in the fourth and two more in the fourth inning, while holding the Bearcats offense in check as SVC trailed 7-2 heading into the sixth inning.
 
In the sixth and seventh innings it was quiet offensively as neither team was able to plate any runs and the game headed to the eighth inning.
 
In the top half of the eighth inning, Gwynedd Mercy scored another run to increase their lead to 8-2. Saint Vincent answered in the bottom half of the inning as Perroz ripped a single to center field, scoring Nicklow, picking up his second RBI of the game, cutting the Griffins lead to 8-3, but the Bearcats were unable to score any in the ninth as the Griffins came away with the win.
 
As a team, Saint Vincent scored three runs on nine hits, while also committing two errors on defense.
 
Saint Vincent continues their Florida spring break trip, tomorrow, Wednesday, March 8, when they compete against Clark University in Davenport, Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Northeast Regional Park.