CLERMONT, Fla. (March 4) – The Saint Vincent softball team dropped a pair of games in a split doubleheader on its second day at The Spring Games in Florida.
In game one, Carthage broke open a tie game with a 5-run sixth inning en route to the 10-5 victory over Saint Vincent, while the result of the Bearcats' second game of the day also hinged on one inning, as Elizabethtown scored all of its runs in the bottom of the second to hand the Bearcats a 3-1 defeat.
Game One – Carthage 10, Saint Vincent 5
In the opener, Carthage used a bunt single, triple, and RBI groundout to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but the Bearcats answered right back in the bottom half, when
Jessica LaPorte stroked a double to the fence in left-center, and promptly scored on
Alyssa Henderson's RBI single to left to cut the gap to 2-1.
Saint Vincent would then take the lead in its next at-bats.
Shayna Perigo singled and
Leah Yoder reached safely on an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt to open the frame, before
Kendall McConnell drew a two-out walk to load the bases.
Olivia Persin was then hit by a pitch to plate Perigo with the tying run, and LaPorte then walked to bring home the go-ahead run, making it 3-2.
Carthage looked primed to break the game open in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs and putting loading the bases with just one out to take a 4-3 lead, but Shelby Dobrzyski came out of the bullpen to record the final two outs, stranding two runners to keep the deficit at one run.
The Bearcats came right back to tie it with a single run in the fourth. Makenzie Favero led off with a single, and then advanced two bases on
Kendall McConnell's sacrifice bunt. Favero's hustle on the basepaths paid off, as she was then driven in by a Persin sacrifice fly to right field to even the score at 4-4.
Carthage answered with a single run in the top of the fifth to go in front 5-4, and then broke the game open by sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five runs, on four hits and an error, to take a commanding 10-4 lead in the sixth.
Held scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings, the Bearcats looked to put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Persin led off with a single and came home two pitches later on LaPorte's second RBI double of the day to make it 10-5. Two batters later, Perigo reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners with two outs, but they would remain stranded, as Carthage induced a game-ending popup to close out the win.
Seven different Bearcats recorded at least one hit in the defeat, with LaPorte going 3-3 with two doubles, a walk, and two RBIs. Persin went 2-2 with a hit-by-pitch and two ribbies.
Freshman
A.J. Arnal made her first career start in the circle and took the no-decision, working 3.1 innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits. Arnal was one of five SVC pitchers on the morning, with
Olivia Bushore saddled with the loss after surrendering five runs in one inning of work.
Game Two: Elizabethtown 3, Saint Vincent 1
Saint Vincent drew first blood in game two with a run in the top of the second. Henderson opened the inning with a single, and then moved to third after Perigo's sacrifice bunt attempt was thrown away.
April Earnest then reached on an infield single to load the bases and after Henderson was cut down at the plate on a ground ball, Perigo raced home with the game's first run on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
Elizabethtown did all of its offensive damage in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs on four hits – including two bunts – and an error to take a 3-1 lead.
SVC would put runners on base in each of its final five at-bats, but was unable to put a dent in the deficit. In the third, LaPorte was stranded after drawing a two-out walk, while two Bearcats were left on in the fourth, after Perigo and Earnest each singled.
The Bearcats saw their best chance at scoring come in the top of the fifth, when Persin, LaPorte and Perigo all walked to load the bases, but an inning-ending groundout quashed the rally.
The top of the seventh also saw SVC put two runners on after a two-out single from Henderson and another free pass to Perigo, but Elizabethtown closed out the game by inducing a groundout.
Also making her first career start in the circle,
Jackie Brace was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings of work.
Haley Bicko came on in relief in the third and turned in a nearly flawless performance. She allowed just one single and no walks, with two strikeouts, while throwing only 37 pitches over four shutout innings.
Earnest led the Bearcats at the plate, going 3-3 and stealing a base, while her fellow freshman Henderson went 2-4. LaPorte and Perigo drew two walks apiece.
The Bearcats will return to action with a pair of games on Tuesday, March 5, in Leesburg, Florida. At 10 a.m., SVC faces Regis, before taking on Rivier at 12:15 p.m.
