Saint Vincent upsets W&J to start PAC baseball tournament
After going 16-2 in Presidents’ Athletic Conference play and earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament, the Washington & Jefferson baseball team now finds itself facing elimination.
The Presidents fell in their first game of the tournament to No. 4-seed Saint Vincent 4-2 Thursday at Ross Memorial Park. To win the tournament and return to the NCAA Mideast Regional, last year’s national runner-up must win its next four games.
Jimmy Malone led the Bearcats, allowing only two runs in a complete-game victory. The sophomore southpaw allowed 10 hits while walking none and striking out two.
An RBI single from Peters Township graduate Bobby Finn in the third put Saint Vincent (15-19) ahead 1-0, W&J (25-15-1) scored a run in each of the third and fourth innings to take a 2-1 lead. Dante Dalesandro homered in the third, and Justin Griffin singled home Dan Trettel in the fourth.
The Bearcats responded with three runs in the fifth. Matt Morrone grounded out to score Tanner Yard, who led off the inning with an infield single. Saint Vincent then knocked four straight hits, with Eddie Kilkeary and Ramon Milke each smacking RBI singles to give the Bearcats a 4-2 lead.
Ben Marsico was the losing pitcher for the Presidents, allowing four runs in his 5 2/3 innings. He allowed nine hits and one walk while striking out five. Santino Platt and Clay Martin, a Canon-McMillan graduate, combined to throw a scoreless 3 1/3 innings in relief.
W&J will play an elimination game today against Thiel, which lost to Thomas More Thursday, at 3 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park. The winner will play the loser of the noon Thomas More-Saint Vincent game in an elimination game at 6 p.m.