PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Thiel College softball squad earned a non-conference sweep Thursday against La Roche College, defeating the Redhawks 7-3 in game one and 12-4 (5 inn.) in game two. Danielle Dwyer (Dalton, Ohio, Dalton) hit a home run in each contest, giving her four on the season and becoming the College's all-time leader (10) in the process.

Kristen Moreland (Dover, Ohio, Dover) earned the game one win, allowing three runs (3 earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Ali House (Liberty, Ohio, Liberty) finished the final 2.1 innings and gave up just one hit while striking out two.

Dwyer went 2-3 with three RBI and two runs scored to pace the Tomcats offensively. Melissa Rankin (Scenery Hill, Pa., Bentworth) and Molly Jo Everett (Medina, Ohio, Highland) each went 3-4 with Rankin adding two runs and a RBI.

Deanna Tritinger suffered the loss for La Roche, allowing four runs (4 earned) on seven hits in 4.0 innings. Samantha Colton replaced Tritinger in the fifth and allowed two runs (2 earned) on two hits. Sydnie Martin, Autumn Hubert, and Cara Giannadrea each finished with a RBI.

The Tomcats (4-11) plated a pair of runs in the first and following Dwyer's two-run home run in the third assumed a 4-0 lead. The Redhawks (4-10) scored three in the fourth to trim Thiel's lead to one, 4-3, but a Dwyer RBI triple and Emily Batiz (Leechburg, Pa., Leechburg Area) RBI groundout in the seventh wrapped up the scoring with the Tomcats claiming the 6-3 victory.

Batiz returned to the mound in game two to earn five-inning win, allowing four runs (3 earned) on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts. The Tomcats put together 17 hits with six starters collecting at least two hits apiece. Dwyer finished 3-5 at the plate, hitting a pair of doubles and a home run to finish with five RBI. Everett and Becky Betteridge (Conneaut, Ohio, Conneaut) also managed three hits in the win.

Kara Jo Egelsky was dealt the game two loss, allowing eight runs (8 earned) on 10 hits in 2.0 innings. Kelsey Deem and Kimberly McLay each drove in two runs for the Redhawks.

Following a first inning Betteridge triple and an Ashley Rable (Warren, Ohio, Champion) single, a double steal allowed Betteridge to swipe home and put the Tomcats on the board. Everett's RBI single scored Rable and Dwyer's two-run home run concluded the first-inning scoring with Thiel sporting a 4-0 advantage.

Thiel added four more runs in the second and took an 8-0 lead, but the host Redhawks tallied four runs of their own in the bottom half of the second to cut the Thiel lead to four, 8-4. An Ashley Dolan (Export, Pa., Franklin Regional) RBI single in the fourth pushed the Thiel lead to 9-4 and after RBI from both Batiz and Karen Wolfe (Troy, Pa., Troy) in the fifth the visiting Tomcats stretched their lead to 11-4. Dwyer's RBI double in the fifth scored Rankin and concluded the scoring.

The Tomcats open Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play on Saturday, April 2 when they travel to Westminster College. The doubleheader is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.