NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (May 2) – The Saint Vincent College softball team nearly completed a dramatic comeback, rallying from six runs down in the seventh inning to tie the game, but Hiram College scored in the bottom half to walk off with a 15-14 victory, ending the Bearcats season in the PAC Tournament action at Westminster College.
The Bearcats closed the season at 20-18 overall, while Hiram improved to 19-20. Saint Vincent totaled 14 runs on 19 hits, highlighted by a huge day from
Josey Michalski, who went 4-for-5 with two home runs, four runs scored and seven RBIs.
Hiram scored twice in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead, but Saint Vincent answered in the third.
Mackenzie Favero led off the inning with a double, before
Alyssa Henderson singled up the middle to score Favero and cut the deficit to 2-1. Two batters later, Michalski launched a two-run home run to center field, scoring
Lily Rush and giving the Bearcats a 3-2 lead.
The Terriers responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to move back in front, 7-3, before adding four more in the fourth on a grand slam from Hannah Schimmoeller to push the lead to 11-3. Saint Vincent got one run back in the fifth, as Michalski scored on a fielder's choice by
Taylor Williams to make it 11-4.
Saint Vincent began its comeback in the sixth. Favero singled and
Emily Dudenhoeffer followed with a base hit, before
Remmie Seitz reached on an error to load the bases. Michalski then delivered again, blasting a grand slam to left field to pull the Bearcats within three, 11-8.
After Hiram scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 14-8, the Bearcats mounted a furious seventh-inning rally. Williams reached on an error,
Shayna Perigo walked and Favero also walked to load the bases.
Eva Farone followed with a two-run single down the left field line, before Seitz singled home Favero to trim the deficit to 14-11. Michalski then singled to center to score Farone, cutting the margin to 14-12.
Abby Bauer singled to load the bases again, and after a pitching change, Williams came through with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Michalski and Seitz to tie the game at 14-14. However, Hiram answered in the bottom of the seventh, as Lola Thomas singled home the winning run to give the Terriers the walk-off victory.
Michalski led Saint Vincent's offense with one of the top individual performances of the season, finishing with two homers and seven RBIs. Henderson went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Bauer was 3-for-5. Farone finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs, Favero went 2-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and a walk, and
Macie McHugh added two hits. Williams drove in three runs, while Seitz scored twice and drove in one.
Natalie Bizup started in the circle, before
Mya McHugh and
A.J. Arnal entered in relief. Arnal took the loss, allowing four runs, just one earned, over two innings with one strikeout.
Hiram advances on in the PAC Tournament, competing in game G against the game F winner (Bethany-Waynesburg).
