AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 7)- The Saint Vincent baseball team fell to Bluffton in Florida by a final score of 7-5 on Friday evening.

The Bearcats (3-3) trailed 5-1 going into the eighth inning. Saint Vincent tied it after a four-run top of the eighth, but Bluffton scored two in the bottom of the inning and shut the Bearcats down in the ninth to hand SVC the loss.

Ben Hudson, Mario Disso, Dalton Nicklow, and Nolan Hurd totaled the only four hits in the loss for Saint Vincent. Tyler Dancu started on the mound for the Bearcats, picking up the no-decision after pitching 4.1 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits, while striking out four and walking two. Garrett Knapp took the loss on the mound, pitching 2.2 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits, while walking one as well.

It was all Bluffton over the first six innings of the game. The Beavers jumped out to a 5-0 lead, shutting the Bearcats bats down over those innings. In the seveth, SVC finally got on the board with Nicklow scoring on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 5-1.

SVC tied the game in the top of the eighth. First, Nathan Whiteman scored on another wild pitch, L.J. Evans recorded an RBI-walk, scoring Derek Hald to cut the lead to 5-3. Alex Hess was then hit by a pitch, scoring Nicklow, and T.J. Bucy then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5. Saint Vincent stranded two runners in scoring position as the game headed to bottom of the eighth.

The Beavers got those runs right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs with two outs to take a 7-5 lead. SVC brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the game.

Saint Vincent scored their five runs on four hits, committing three errors, while Bluffton scored their seven runs on ten hits, not committing an error.

The Bearcats will conclude their annual spring break trip to Florida with a matchup against Curry, tomorrow, Saturday, March 8. First pitch is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. in Auburndale, Florida.