Thirty former Saint Vincent baseball players returned to the field, splitting a doubleheader against the current Bearcats on SVC Baseball Alumni Day 2007.

The Bearcats came from behind to win game one by an 8-6 score, while the Oldtimers, coached by 2007 graduate Dave Russell, fought back from an early 4-0 disadvantage to take the nightcap 11-9.

In game one, SVC manufactured a pair of runs in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead, and added a third run in the second off of Alumni starter Pat Hassler (C '00).  

Freshman starter Darren Smith was effective early on for the Bearcats, holding the alums scoreless, and hitless, through the first three frames, striking out five in that span.

The Alumni finally shook the rust off in the fourth.  Jon Hanczaryk (C '04) led off the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Matt Fajt (C '99).  Pat Flynn (C '03) was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases, and Mike Lukon (C '98) followed with a single driving in Hanczaryk.

Joe Skoloda (C '97) singled in Fajt and Flynn, and Jim Berger (C '04) hit a double off the fence in left center driving in Lukon to give the Alumni a 4-3 lead.  Skoloda attempted to score from first on the play, but was gunned down by a perfect relay from SVC shortstop Anthony Mattei.

The score remained 4-3 until the top of the sixth, when SVC's Adam Miller was hit by a Mike Pollinsky (C '03) offering and subsequently scored on a Dan Bryan double to right field to tie the game.

The Alumni answered right back, as Hanczaryk led off the bottom half of the frame with a double to right, eventually scoring on a wild pitch, to put the Oldtimers up 5-4.

The Bearcats  regained the lead in the top of the seventh,  as the first six batters reached base, four of them scoring, to put SVC up 8-5.

The Oltimers rallied again in the bottom of the seventh.  Flynn led off with a single off of freshman Anthony Williams, and was moved to third on another Skoloda single.  Berger then followed with a line drive single to right field, scoring Flynn and moving Skoloda to third.  Aaron Wilson (C '04) grounded out to second, moving Berger to scoring position, but Dave Morgan (C '02) ended the game with a fly ball to center field, giving the Williams and the Bearcats the win.

Sam Manna reached base all four times for the Bearcats in the opener, with a single, two walks, and a hit by pitch.  Berger and Skoloda led the Alumni, each going 2-3 with a pair of RBIs.

Alumni hurler Justin Pichora (C '04) was the only pitcher who came out of the game unscathed, throwing two scoreless innings, giving up two hits.

The Bearcats started quickly in the nightcap, scoring four runs in the top of the first off of Alumni starter Kevin Brogan (C '05), with the big hit being a two-run single from sophomore Mario Fragello. 

The Oltimers answered right back, scoring three in the bottom half, with Russell Daniels (C '06) and Wilson each knocking RBI doubles off of sophomore Stephen Cherry.

In the bottom of the second, the first three SVC batters reached base, each scoring, but Alumni lefty Geoff Dobson (C '01) struck out two of the next three batters, limiting the damage.

With the score 7-3 in favor of the Bearcats, the Alumni exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second, as Greg DeCecco (C '04) doubled and Daniels and TJ Conroy (C '06) both singled, giving the Oldtimers an 8-7 lead.

Dobson then held the Bearcats scoreless in the third, while DeCecco pitched a scoreless fourth for the Alumni.

The Oldtimers added two more runs in the fourth, as Brian Curtin (C '06) led the inning off with a walk and was driven in by a deep double to center by Shawn Wenz (C '04).  Wenz then stole third and scored on a wild pitch, giving the Bearcats a 10-7 advantage.

SVC got two runs back in the top of the fifth.  Adam Miller led off with a triple and then stole home, while Williams reached second on an error and was driven in by Mike Christiansen.

The Alums scored their final run of the afternoon in the fifth.  Mike Schock (C '07) walked and stole second, and was plated by a Mike Killian (C '07) double.

Craig Conforti (C '06) pitched a scoreless sixth for the Alumni, and Jeremiah Scott (C '04) took the mound for the Oldtimers in the seventh.

Brandon Eberle led the seventh off for SVC with a double, but was thrown out trying to advance to third on a Williams ground ball.  Christiansen doubled to the left field corner, scoring Williams, but was nailed trying to stretch it into a triple with a perfect relay from DeCecco in left to Conroy at short to Daniels at third, ending the game.

Scott earned the dramatic save, while Dobson got credit for the win, the second of his Alumni Team career.  Cherry took the loss for the Bearcats.

Offensively, Daniels went 2-2 with a double, single, and a walk, while Cy Haponski (C '07) reached base three times, singling and walking twice, while adding two stolen bases.

The Bearcats were led at the plate by Miller and Christiansen, who each went 2-3.