LATROBE, Pa. (Mar. 24)- The Saint Vincent softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader against La Roche in the home opener on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Saint Vincent won the opener by a score of 7-0, before earning a 9-1 run-rule victory against the Red Hawks in game two.
 
Game 1- Saint Vincent 7, La Roche 0
The Saint Vincent College softball team earned a 7-0 shutout victory over La Roche University Tuesday afternoon at the SVC Softball Field. The Bearcats improved to 5-8 overall with the win, while the Redhawks fell to 4-11.
 
Saint Vincent took control early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Eva Farone opened the frame with a walk and later scored when Mackenzie Favero stole second.
 
After Emily Dudenhoeffer walked and moved into scoring position, Josey Michalski drove her home with an RBI triple to left field. Later in the inning, Dakota Hershberger reached on a throwing error by the La Roche third baseman, allowing Michalski to score and extend the lead to 4-0.
 
The Bearcats added another run in the second. Farone singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout by Favero, and came home on a wild pitch to make it 5-0. Saint Vincent then pushed the lead to 6-0 in the fourth when Farone homered to left field.
 
In the fifth, Alyssa Henderson singled, Michalski followed with a base hit, and Samantha Farrell delivered an RBI single to center to score Michalski for the game's final run.
 
Farone led the Bearcats offensively, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, a home run, one RBI and a walk. Favero finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Michalski went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a triple and an RBI.
 
Dudenhoeffer added a hit, and a run scored, and Farrell recorded a pinch-hit RBI single. Saint Vincent totaled 10 hits and stole five bases in the win.
 
Inside the circle, A.J. Arnal tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits over seven innings while striking out two and walking none. The Bearcats backed her with an error-free defensive effort, while La Roche committed four errors.
 
Game 2- Saint Vincent 9, La Roche 1 (6 Innings)
The Saint Vincent College softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of La Roche University on Tuesday afternoon, earning a 9-1 victory in six innings.
 
The Bearcats move to 6-8 overall, while the Redhawks fall to 4-12.
 
La Roche struck first in the top of the opening inning, as Finley Hohn delivered an RBI single to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
 
Saint Vincent responded immediately in the bottom half, plating three runs on four hits. Emily Dudenhoeffer tied the game with an RBI double to right field, Alyssa Henderson followed with an RBI single, and Josey Michalski added another RBI base hit to give the Bearcats a 3-1 advantage after one inning.
 
The Bearcats extended the lead in the second, as Eva Farone doubled to right center to drive in Samantha Farrell and make it 4-1.
 
Saint Vincent continued to build momentum in the third inning, scoring twice more. Dakota Hershberger ripped an RBI double to left center, and Farrell added a sacrifice fly to push the advantage to 6-1.
 
Farone added insurance in the fourth inning, launching a solo home run to left center to extend the lead to 7-1.
 
The Bearcats capped the scoring in the sixth, as Dudenhoeffer delivered an RBI single to center and Remmie Seitz followed with an RBI groundout to bring home the final two runs and secure the 9-1 run-rule victory.
 
Offensively, Saint Vincent totaled nine runs on 14 hits. Dudenhoeffer led the way with multiple hits and two RBI, while Farone added a double, home run, and two RBI. Henderson, Michalski, and Hershberger each drove in runs, and Favero recorded a multi-hit effort at the top of the lineup.
 
In the circle, Natalie Bizup got the win, limiting La Roche to just one run on seven hits over six innings, shutting the door after the opening frame to secure the sweep.
 
Saint Vincent returns to action tomorrow, Wednesday, March 24 as they travel to Geneva to take on the Golden Tornadoes in a PAC doubleheader. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.