Saint Vincent College

LATROBE, Pa. (Apr. 24)- The Saint Vincent softball team used two come from behind walk-off wins to sweep Grove City and clinch their spot in the Presidents Athletic Conference Tournament next week.
 
Saint Vincent won the opener 5-4 in nine innings in game one, before earning a 7-6 victory, coming back from five runs down in game two to officially clinch their playoff berth.
 
The Bearcats clinch their spot in the PAC Tournament for the first time since the 2023 season.
 
Game 1- Saint Vincent 5, Grove City 4 (9 Innings)
The Saint Vincent College softball team rallied from a three-run deficit to earn a 5-4, nine-inning walk-off victory over Grove City College in game one of Friday's Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader in Latrobe.
 
With the win, the Bearcats improved to 19-16 overall and 11-10 in PAC play.
 
Grove City took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Cora Myers' RBI double before adding another run in the second on an RBI single by Evelyn Montone. Saint Vincent answered in the bottom of the second, when Josey Michalski homered to left field to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
The Wolverines added two more runs in the fourth to move in front 4-1, but the Bearcats began to chip away in the bottom half. Abby Bauer doubled to right field, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Shayna Perigo's RBI groundout, making it 4-2.
 
Saint Vincent tied the game in the sixth. Taylor Williams singled, Perigo followed with a single and stole second, and Eva Farone delivered a two-run single to right field to score both runners and even the score at 4-4.
 
After A.J. Arnal kept Grove City scoreless through the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, the Bearcats walked it off in the bottom of the ninth. Emily Dudenhoeffer led off with a single up the middle, moved to second on Alyssa Henderson's sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Michalski then reached on a fielder's choice, bringing home Dudenhoeffer for the game-winning run.
 
Saint Vincent totaled 13 hits in the win. Farone, Dudenhoeffer, Williams and Perigo each recorded two hits, while Michalski drove in two runs, including the solo home run and the walk-off RBI. Perigo added an RBI and a run scored, while Bauer doubled and scored.
 
In the circle, Arnal earned the complete-game victory, allowing four runs on 11 hits over nine innings. She worked around five walks and kept Grove City scoreless over the final five frames to help set up the Bearcats' comeback.
 
Game 2- Saint Vincent 7, Grove City 6
The Saint Vincent College softball team rallied from a five-run deficit to earn a 7-6 walk-off victory over Grove City College in Presidents' Athletic Conference action.
 
With the win, the Bearcats improved to 20-16 overall, while Grove City fell to 18-14.
 
Grove City jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning, using six hits to build the early advantage. Saint Vincent began its comeback in the bottom of the third, as Emily Dudenhoeffer singled home Eva Farone, before Alyssa Henderson followed with an RBI single to score Dudenhoeffer. Abby Bauer then reached on an error, allowing Henderson to score and cut the deficit to 5-3.
 
The Bearcats pulled even in the fourth inning, when Farone launched a two-run home run to right field, scoring Macie McHugh to tie the game at 5-5. Saint Vincent then took the lead in the fifth, as Josey Michalski scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-5.
 
Grove City tied the game in the top of the seventh on Kristin Tesch's RBI double, but Saint Vincent answered immediately in the bottom half. Bauer led off with a single, moved to second on Taylor Williams' sacrifice bunt and scored on McHugh's walk-off RBI single to right field, giving the Bearcats the 7-6 win.
 
Saint Vincent totaled 11 hits in the victory. Farone went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run and two RBIs, while Dudenhoeffer and Henderson each finished with two hits and an RBI. Michalski reached base three times, Bauer scored the winning run and McHugh drove in the game-winner.
 
In the circle, Mya McHugh earned the win in relief, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing one run on five hits with two walks. Natalie Bizup started and allowed five runs over two-thirds of an inning before McHugh entered and settled the game down.
 
Saint Vincent will now prepare for next week's PAC Championship Tournament, which is scheduled to begin next Thursday, April 30 at either Westminster or Geneva.