AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 7) – After losing a late lead in a loss to Bluffton, the Saint Vincent softball team used an early offensive onslaught to defeat Concordia Chicago, 9-5, to give head coach Nicole Karr her 300th career victory.
In the opener, the Beavers scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the comeback win, while in game two, the Bearcats jumped out to a 9-3 lead after three innings and led the rest of the way.
GAME ONE: Bluffton 5, Saint Vincent 4
Bluffton University scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat Saint Vincent, 5-4, to open the Bearcats' third day at The Spring Games.
The Bearcats (2-3) out-hit the Beavers 8-5, but were hampered by seven errors, which led to three unearned Bluffton runs.
Kylie Meek was the hard-luck losing pitcher, going the distance and allowing just five hits with two strikeouts.
Offensively,
Olivia Persin and
Haley Bicko each had two hits for the Bearcats, with Persin launching a leadoff home run in the top of the first.
The Beavers answered back to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a pair of errors to plate an unearned run. The Bearcats threatened in the top of the third, with
Shelby Dobrzynski, Persin and
Alex Dillner all singling, but Bluffton escaped the threat with an inning-ending ground out.
Saint Vincent finally added on in the top of the fourth.
Nicolette Kloes, Bicko and
Leah Yoder each singled to start the inning, with Yoder's shot down the third base line scoring Kloes to make it 2-1. Two batters later, Bicko scored SVC's third run on a Dobrzynski ground out.
Bluffton cut it to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth, scoring one run on one hit and two errors, but SVC came right back to add to its lead in the top of the fifth.
Jessica LaPorte opened the inning by reaching on an error, before another error on a ball hit by
Allie Prady put runners at first and third. Kloes would then plate LaPorte with an RBI ground out to make it 4-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Bluffton saw its first three batters reach base, before a two-run single through the right side tied it at 4. Two batters later, Bluffton scored the eventual game-winning run on another ground out.
SVC was unable to answer, going down in order in the top of the seventh.
GAME TWO: Saint Vincent 9, Concordia Chicago 5
Concordia got off to a strong start, scoring two runs on two hits in the top of the first, but Saint Vincent answered right back.
Persin led off the bottom of the first with a triple. After one out, three straight SVC batters reached on errors, with three runs coming home, to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead, before
Katie Lampe's RBI single pushed the margin to two runs.
Concordia got one run back in the top of the second, but the SVC bats went right back to work in their half of the frame. Persin singled and LaPorte was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, before Prady singled to bring home Persin and make it 5-3. Two batters later, Dillner, who reached earlier on a fielder's choice, came home with SVC's sixth run on an RBI ground out from Lampe.
Saint Vincent's bats would continue to stay hot in the bottom of the third. Megan Braun was hit by a pitch and Persin struck a one-out single, before LaPorte cleared the bases with a home run to straightaway center field to open up a 9-3 lead. It marked LaPorte's first long ball of the season.
Concordia attempted to rally late, scoring single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings, but SVC reliever Bicko minimized the damage to earn her first save of the year.
Braun started and earned the win, working 4.0 innings and allowing three runs with four strikeouts. Bicko struck out three and surrendered three hits in three innings of relief.
Six different players accounted for Saint Vincent's eight hits, with Persin again leading the way with a 3-for-4 showing.
The Bearcats will now head into an off day Wednesday, before closing their spring break trip with a pair of games on Thursday, March 9, taking on Dominican University at 9 a.m. and Wheaton (Ill.) at 11:30 a.m. at the Diamond Plex in Winter Haven.
