FORT MEYERS, Fla. -- The Thiel College baseball team was defeated 5-3 by The United States Coast Guard Acadamy (USCGA) in their opening game of the season Saturday afternoon in Fort Meyers, Fla.

The Bears got on the board first as Eric Gerken hit into a fielder's choice that scored Tyler Babkiewich to make the score 1-0. USCGA would then add another run off of senior pitcher James Teyssier (McKees Rocks, Pa., Montour) as Babkiewich singled in first baseman Dave Wolinski to make the score 2-0.

The Tomcats would come right back in the third inning as junior Brock Porter (Duncansville, Pa., Hollidaysburg) hit a two-run single that scored sophomore Ryan Dixon (Pittsburgh, Pa., Upper St. Clair)and senior center fielder Luke Johnson (Rochester, Pa., Rochester) to tie the game at two.

The game would not remain tied for long as the Bears' Graham Sherman hit an RBI single that scored Babkiewich to make the score 3-2. 

Thiel would come back in the bottom of the fifth as Dixon reached on an error and then was drove in with a RBI double off the bat of sophomore short stop Eric King (Butler, Pa., Butler) to tie the game at three.

However, in the next half inning, the Bears would come right back with a two-run frame to make the score 5-3, and they held off the Tomcats to win by the same score.

Offensively, the Tomcats were led by Porter who went 1-3 on the day with 2 RBIs. On the mound, Teyssier went six solid innings as he struck out seven batters.

The Tomcats will be in action again on Sunday at 10 a.m. as they take on Elms College.