WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 13) – The Saint Vincent College baseball team saw its season come to an end with a 12-3 loss to top-seeded Washington & Jefferson College in the championship game of the 2023 Presidents' Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament.
The Bearcats, who were making their second trip to the PAC title game in three seasons, close the year with a 22-18 overall record. Washington & Jefferson wins its fourth consecutive conference title and earned the PAC's automatic berth into the 2023 NCAA Division III Regional Championships.
In the rainy title game, the Bearcats recorded 10 hits, but stranded nine runners on base. Dalton Nicklow led the SVC offense, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, while Billy Perroz and Alex Hess each went 2-for-3 with an RBI. With his two-hit performance, Perroz ended the season with 63 hits, breaking a 23-year-old single-season team record. Perroz also set a team record with 17 doubles on the year.
The Bearcats got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two outs, Nicklow singled to left and then scored on Perroz's double to the fence.
The Presidents answered right back with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first, with the big blast a two-run home run from Trevor Dean. It was a lead W&J would not relinquish, as the hosts would continue to add on over the next several frames.
Saint Vincent had batters reach base in five of the first six innings, but did not manage to score another run until the top of the seventh, when Hess's opposite field single through the right side plated Devin Bonine, who drew a one-walk out earlier in the frame.
After the single tally in the seventh, the Bearcats looked to rally in the top of the eighth. Nicklow began the inning with a single to middle, before Perroz walked to put runners at first and second. Sabol promptly laced a single to center to bring home Nicklow with SVC's third run, and Bonine followed by drawing a four-pitch walk to load the bases. However, the Presidents escaped the threat, with an inning-ending groundout stranding the bases loaded.
Trailing 12-3 in the top of the ninth, Saint Vincent again loaded the bases with walks to Hess, L.J. Evans and Perroz, but the Presidents again left the sacks full with a game-ending fly ball to center.
Nate Davis started on the mound for SVC and was saddled with the loss, going 1.1 innings and allowing five runs on five hits with five strikeouts. He was the first of five SVC hurlers on the afternoon.
Shane Fox got the win for W&J, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits in 7.1 innings.
Upon the conclusion of the tournament, three Bearcats were named to the PAC All-Tournament Team in Nicklow, Sabol and pitcher Michael Klingensmith. Nicklow batted .583 (7-12) with four doubles, two RBIs and six runs scored, while Sabol hit .500 (8-16) with two doubles, three RBIs and five runs scored. Klingensmith earned the win for the Bearcats in the elimination game against Westminster, working 8.2 innings.
This marked SVC's sixth PAC Championship Tournament appearance, and second trip to the title game, while 2023 is the 12th 20-win season in team history.
