The Bearcats started strong, and then held off a rally to defeat Penn State-Fayette 10-6.

Darren Smith earned his first career win on the mound, while the Bearcats pounded out 11 hits under the lights at PSU-Fayette's Hutchinson Ballfield.

SVC started strong in the top of the first.  After Mike Adams walked and Mark Shouey singled, Abe Weimer followed with a double to drive home Adams, giving the Bearcats their first run of the day.  Adam Miller then followed, sending a blast over the fence in right center field for his first homer of the year, scoring Weimer and Shouey and putting the Bearcats up 4-0.

The Bearcats added on in the second.  Ray J. Abati led off with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball.  Adams followed with his second walk of the day, and Shouey drove Abati in with another single.  Adams scored on a ground out by Weimer, and SVC led 5-0.

The Lions scored once in the bottom of the second, but the Bearcats got it right back in the visiting half of the third.  Kenny Primeaux singled and stole second, and Fred Federici reached on an error.  Chris Zampogna then got in on the act with a single, scoring Primeaux.

SVC continued to pile on in the fourth, with Shouey and Weimer reaching on a walk and hit by pitch, respectively, and Miller coming through with a two-run single, pushing SVC's advantage to 9-1.  Miller eventually scored SVC's 10th run on a Zampogna fielder's choice.

The Lions then attempted to chip away, scoring twice in the fourth, on a two-run blast from Jared Early, and then three times in the sixth, aided by a pair of Bearcat errors. 

Over the final three frames, seven different Bearcats reached base, but all were stranded and SVC couldn't continue on its hot start. 

The Lions, however, also went cold offensively, with Weimer coming in to pitch in relief, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out two, halting SVC's winless streak at four games.

Smith was strong on the mound for the Bearcats, working six innings, scattering five hits, and striking out seven.

Miller finished the day 3-5 with five RBI's, while Shouey also had three hits and scored a pair of runs.  Weimer reached base in five of six plate appearances, singling twice, getting hit by a pitch twice, and walking once.

PSU-Fayette was led by Early's homer and triple and two runs scored.  Robert Halfhill took the loss on the mound for PSU-Fayette (23-19).

The Bearcats (15-18) return to the diamond and finish up the 2008 season on Saturday, traveling to Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Geneva College for a 12pm doubleheader.