GREENVILLE, Pa. (April 7) – In its first action in 10 days, the Saint Vincent softball team split a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader at Thiel College.
In the opener, the Saint Vincent (12-8, 4-2 PAC) bats exploded in a 10-0, five-inning win, before the nightcap saw Thiel (8-14, 3-3 PAC) score three runs in the seventh inning to force extra innings, and then score twice in the 10th to win 6-5.
GAME ONE – Saint Vincent 10, Thiel 0 (5 innings)
Eight different Bearcats recorded at least one hit, while two SVC hurlers limited the Tomcats to just one hit in the 5-inning shutout.
Shayna Perigo and
Leah Yoder each went 3-for-3 at the plate, while
Olivia Persin finished 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. Persin drove in three RBIs and scored two runs, while Perigo had two RBIs and Yoder two runs scored.
Haley Bicko started and got the win, working 3.0 shutout innings and allowing just one hit and one walk with four strikeouts.
Meghan Braun threw the final two frames, striking out two without surrendering a hit or a walk.
Saint Vincent found the scoreboard first in the opening inning. With one out Persin doubled, before scoring two batters later on
Alyssa Henderson's RBI single.
The Bearcats then broke the game open in the top of the second, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring six runs on five hits. Persin had an RBI double in the inning, while
Jessica LaPorte and Perigo each stroked RBI singles.
SVC added on in the top of the third. Yoder opened with a leadoff single, and then scored on a triple to left by
Katie Lampe. After
Mackenzie Favero singled, Persin came through with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Lampe and give SVC an 8-0 lead.
The Bearcats closed out their scoring in the top of the fourth. Pinch hitter
Anita Szymoniak reached on an error, before Perigo doubled to put runners at the corners. Bicko followed with an RBI ground out to plate Szymoniak, and when the throw to the plate went wide, Perigo crossed the dish to make it 10-0.
While the Bearcats' bats continued to add onto the lead, Bicko and Braun made quick work of the Thiel lineup, as they surrendered just three baserunners and retired the side in order in three of the five innings.
GAME TWO – Thiel 6, Saint Vincent 5 (10 innings)
As they did in the opener, the Bearcats jumped out to an early lead, but the Tomcats roared back to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, and then recorded the walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th.
The Bearcats racked 11 hits in the loss, led by Favero, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Henderson finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Bicko went 2-for-5.
Saint Vincent took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, as Favero led off with a single, stole second, and then scored on Henderson's single to right field.
In the top of the second, Yoder walked and
A.J. Arnal followed with a bunt that was misplayed, putting runners at first and third.
April Earnest then came through with a single up the middle to plate Yoder and extend the lead to 2-0.
SVC starting pitcher
Olivia Bushore retired the first 12 batters she faced to keep the Tomcats off the board through the fourth inning, and the Bearcats then added on in the top of the fifth on another RBI single from Henderson that plated Favero, who singled to open the frame, to make it 3-0.
Thiel cut into the lead with a two-out run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Bearcats got it right back in the seventh when Persin, who doubled, scored on a dropped fly ball in right field off the bat of Henderson to make the score 4-1.
The Tomcat bats then erupted in the bottom of the seventh, using a double, single, and triple to plate three runs, tying the game at 4-4 and forcing extra innings.
Neither team could break the tie in the eighth or ninth innings, but the Bearcats manufactured the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th. Persin began the inning on second base per the international tiebreaker rule, moved to third on a perfect sacrifice bunt by LaPorte, and scored on Perigo's single to center to put the Bearcats in front 5-4.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Thiel promptly ended the game by using two singles and a double to plate the winning runs with no outs.
Bushore took the no-decision in the circle, working 7.1 innings and allowing two runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Bicko threw the final two innings in relief and was saddled with the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits.
The Bearcats are now slated to return to action on Thursday, April 11, when they travel to Ohio to take on Franciscan University in a PAC twinbill.
