LATROBE, Pa. (April 9) – The Saint Vincent baseball team saw its winning streak snapped at three games after dropping both ends of a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader to Chatham University at Bearcat Ballfield.
In the opener, Chatham prevailed by a 13-1 score in eight innings, before the nightcap saw the Cougars ride a five-run fourth inning to an 11-6 victory.
GAME 1: Chatham 13, Saint Vincent 1 (8 innings)
In the opener, the Cougars used a three-run home run by Peter Tadic to take an early first inning lead, before adding on with two runs over each of the next two frames to extend the margin to 7-0.
The Bearcats would finally get onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth.
Mario Disso reached on an error to lead off, and was promptly driven home by a
Billy Perroz triple off of the fence in center field.
The Cougars answered right back to put the game away with three runs in the sixth and three more in the eighth to account for the final score.
The Bearcats mounted a rally in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs, but a sharp lineout to shortstop by
Reid Rachwal ended the game.
The Bearcats were limited to just six hits in the loss, with Perroz going 2-for-3.
Dylan Schmude,
Ben Hudson,
Dalton Nicklow and
Matthew Lockwich also found the hit column.
Andrew Root started and took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits in an inning and a third. He was the first five hurlers used by the Bearcats in the game.
Game 2: Chatham 11, Saint Vincent 6
The Cougars again got off to a strong start in the nightcap, plating two runs on two hits and a walk in the top of the first.
The Bearcats answered right back to score five runs in the bottom half of the frame.
J'Shawn Taylor led off with a walk, and then advanced all the way to third when a sacrifice bunt attempt by Disso was thrown away, putting runners at the corners with none out.
Vincent Amatucci then lofted a bloop single inside the right field foul line to plate Taylor, before a fly ball off the bat of Perroz was dropped in the right field corner, loading the bases.
Nolan Hurd followed with a ground ball to short. The lead throw retired Perroz at second, but the relay throw to first sailed wide to bring home both Amatucci and Disso and give SVC a 3-2 lead. After
L.J. Evans doubled to the fence in center,
Derek Hald singled up the middle to plate both Hurd and Evans and push the lead to 5-2.
After the teams traded zeroes in the second inning, Chatham used two singles, two walks and a throwing error to score three unearned runs in the top of the third and tie the game at 5-5.
The back-and-forth theme continued, as the Bearcats jumped back in front in the bottom of the third when Amatucci led off with a single, took second when the lead throw of a double play attempt was dropped at third, and scored when a ground ball off the bat of Nicklow was thrown away, putting SVC in front, 6-5.
The Cougars countered with a big top of the fourth, sending nine men to the plate to score five runs on six hits and gain a 10-5 lead.
The Bearcats had a prime opportunity to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases on an Amatucci single, Perroz walk, and Nicklow one-base hit, but the sacks were left juice after an inning-ending ground out.
From there, the Bearcats would only manage four more base runners, while Chatham added an insurance run in the eighth inning to close the day's scoring.
Saint Vincent recorded nine hits in the nightcap, led by Amatucci's 4-for-5 performance. Nicklow finished 2-for-5, while Hald, Evans and Disso each had one hit.
Nate Davis started on the mound for SVC and took the no-decision, working three innings and allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits with three strikeouts.
Andrew Stano allowed four runs in relief and was saddled with the loss.
Alex Polito threw three shutout innings in relief, allowing no hits and striking out three.
Tyler Dancu threw a scoreless ninth, striking out all three batters he faced.
The Bearcats' busy week will continue on Thursday, April 11, when they step out of conference and travel to Pittsburgh for a 4 p.m. game at La Roche University.
