GREENVILLE, Pa. – Thiel College's Matt Stumpf (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto Rox) laid down a perfect bunt to score Luke Johnson (Rochester, Pa./Rochester) in the bottom of the ninth to cap a, 7-6, win over Bethany Wednesday afternoon at Tomcat Park. The win lifts the Tomcats to 16-5 on the year and 8-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference to set up a key weekend series with Thomas More (12-3-1).

Thiel needed every bit of offense it could muster against the scrappy Bison, who led three times during the contest and as late as the seventh inning.

Johnson, Jake Thomas (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) and Stumpf teamed up to give Thiel a short-lived one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh, however, by capitalizing on a miscue by Bethany third baseman Scott Fraley.

Fraley threw away a ball hit by Thomas which allowed Johnson to score and Thomas to advance to third. Stumpf kept things going by knocking in Thomas on a sac fly to center field.

Johnson and Thomas each went 3-for-4 on the day.

Not all of Thiel's runs came via 'smallball.' Eric Boylan (McKees Rocks/Sto Rox) and Justin Scarpitti (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep.) crushed back-to-back homeruns in the third inning to give Thiel an early, 3-1, edge. Boylan's blast also plated Andrew Howard (Olney, Md./Sherwood).

Bethany's Matt Hartig collected a team-high three hits on the afternoon. 

Thiel returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Thomas More for a 1 p.m. twinbill. The 'Cats and Saints tangle again on Sunday in a noon-time contest.