Chip Jones wrote:
Had I known that
these aircraft were going to get so apparently close in the end without a
visual, I would have vectored the Baron early in the interests of air safety
(regardless of what the 7110 dictates) to avoid the alert.

That is far and away the better procedure. I have had a few situations
like that and I will never let it get to a safety alert status. The IFR
guy will get vectored. It also saves time.