AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Capital University baseball team was in action Tuesday afternoon against Saint Vincent College (Pa.). Alexander Smith scored both the first and last run of an eight-run eighth inning, which helped the Crusaders break away for a 10-4 win over the Bearcats.

After the first two batters for Capital were hit by pitches to lead off the game, junior Logan Bastin (Mansfield, Ohio) singled to right field, which allowed Smith to score from second base. Two batters later, sophomore Daniel Walters (Concord, Ohio) singled to right field, which allowed junior Brett Colburn to score and give the Crusaders an early 2-0 lead.

St. Vincent scored in the top of the second on a fielder's choice, cutting the lead in half. The Bearcats put up two more runs in the top of the fifth followed by one in the top of the seventh which made the score 4-2 in the Bearcats' favor.

Capital would respond in a big way in the bottom of the eighth. Alexander Smith (Elk Grove, Calif.) led the inning off with a single. After a Colburn walk, Bastin doubled down the left field line which drove in both runners. Senior Kirby Boehm (Worthington, Ohio) was hit by a pitch with bases loaded that allowed Tyler Cetnarowski to score the third run of the inning.

Junior Joe Swisher then stepped to the plate and recorded a sacrifice fly to center field and drove home Walters. Sophomore Zackary Ary then drilled a two-run double to give Capital a four-run lead. Capital batted around the order, leading to Smith recording his second hit of the inning. The sophomore ripped a two-run home run to left center field, the first of his career, off of the Bearcats' third pitcher of the inning, which extended the Crusader lead to 10-4.

Bastin led the Crusaders with a double, two singles and three RBIs. Smith went 2-for-4 with a homerun and scored three runs. Capital capitalized on an offensive explosion with 10 runs on 11 hits. Three Crusaders had multiple hits on the day.

Freshman Gabe Morris (Pataskala, Ohio/Newark Catholic) got the start for Capital, the first of his collegiate career. Morris went 5.1 innings, struck out four batters, scattered six hits and surrendered only one earned run. Sophomore Patrick Avellano (Alpharetta, Ga.) picked up the win for the Crusaders in 3.2 innings of relief. Avellano struck out three and surrendered only one earned run.

Luke Fox led the Bearcats with two base hits, the only St. Vincent player with multiple hits.

Capital improves to 3-2 on the season and will return to action Thursday morning against Hanover College at 11:45 a.m. in Auburndale, Fla.