LATROBE, Pa. (Apr. 17)- The Saint Vincent softball team earned an important Presidents Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep against Bethany on Thursday afternoon.
The Bearcats (19-15, 7-9 PAC) opened up the doubleheader with a 4-3 win, following that up with a 7-4 comeback victory against the Bison (22-9, 8-7 PAC).
Game 1- Saint Vincent 4, Bethany 3
The Bearcats were propelled by the long ball in the opener. Home runs from
Dakota Hershberger and
Eva Farone helped lead Saint Vincent past the Bison for the win in game one.
Farone went 2-3 with the home run, two RBI's, and two runs scored. Hershberger's homer was her lone hit and RBI of the game.
Alyssa Henderson added two hits and an RBI, while
Mackenzie Favero and
Josey Michalski both tallied one hit each for Saint Vincent as well.
Olivia Bushore picked up the win in the circle, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits, while striking out two batters.
A.J. Arnal earned the 2.2 inning save, allowing just one hit in her relief outing.
After a scoreless one and a half innings of play, Hershberger got the Bearcats on the board with her solo shot to left to put Saint Vincent up 1-0. Bethany tied the game up with a run in the top of the third, but SVC answered right back.
In the bottom of the third, Henderson ripped an RBI-single the scored Farone to give the Bearcats the lead right back at 2-1. SVC added two more their next time up to bat. Those two runs came on Farone's two-run homer to increase the SVC lead to 4-1.
Bethany scored two in the fifth and put the tying run on base with two outs in the seventh, but Arnal shut the door on the Bison to secure the save and game one win for Saint Vincent, 4-3.
SVC scored their four runs on seven hits, committing two errors, while Bethany scored their three runs on nine hits.
Game 2- Saint Vincent 7, Bethany 4
The Bearcats trailed 2-0 after an inning and a half of play, before they stormed back to take a 4-2 lead. Bethany later tied the game, but once again SVC had a response with a three-run fifth inning and that was the difference in the game.
In game two,
Eva Farone added another hit and two RBI's for the Bearcats.
Dakota Hershberger ripped another home run in the win, this one being a two-run homer.
Abby Bauer and
Taylor Williams recorded a hit and RBI each, while
Josey Michalski and
Anita Szymoniak recorded one hit each.
Farone picked up her second win of the week in relief for Saint Vincent. The freshman pitched three shutout innings, allowing just one hit, while recording a strikeout and walk.
Meghan Braun picked up the no-decision, pitching four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, while striking out four and walking one batter.
After a scoreless first inning, Bethany scored two in the top of the second to jump out to a 2-0 lead. However, the Bearcats answered with a big inning in the bottom of the inning. Saint Vincent scored four runs in the inning to grab the lead right back. Williams,
Shayna Perigo, and Farone all recorded RBI's for the Bearcats in the inning to put them ahead 4-2.
Bethany tied the game at 4-4 with one run in each of the fourth and fifth innings. But, just as they had done all day, Saint Vincent answered. The Bearcats three in the fifth inning, which turned out to be the difference.
Two of those three fifth inning runs came on the two-run homer from Hershberger, while the third came on an RBI-single from Bauer, scoring Michalski as SVC's lead was 7-4.
Farone shut the Bison out in the sixth and seventh to secure the PAC sweep for SVC.
SVC scored their seven runs on six hits, committing three errors, while Bethany scored their four runs on seven hits, also committing three errors.
Saint Vincent returns to action on Thursday, April 24 with a road PAC doubleheader at Waynesburg. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Waynesburg, Pa.
