FORT MYERS, Fla. – Tomcat starting pitching continued their hot start of the season. This time, Senior pitcher Josh Russell (Pittsburgh, Pa., Keystone Oaks) went the full nine innings and gave up just two runs to help give the Tomcats the 4-2 victory over the Wheaton College Thunder.
Thiel started off the scoring in the top of the first as senior centerfielder Luke Johnson (Rochester, Pa., Rochester) led off the game with a double to right center and later scored off the bat of junior third baseman Bobby Hillier (Brook Park, Ohio, Midpark) to give the Tomcats the 1-0 lead after just a half inning.
The score would remain the same through three and a half innings as both Russell and the Wheaton pitcher would not concede a run.
The Thunder finally got to Russell in the bottom of the fourth and again in the bottom of the fifth as they posted one run in each of those innings to take the 2-1 lead.
Thiel would fight back in the top of the seventh as sophomore designated hitter Eric Steininger (West Leechburg, Pa., Leechburg) tripled in senior first baseman Jake Thomas (Canton, Ohio, Massillon Jackson) to tie the score at two. Steininger then reached home on a wild pitch to put the Tomcats up by a run. After Wheaton pitching walked sophomore catcher Dan Gainey (Girard, Ohio, Girard) and Johnson, a single by junior outfielder Phil Double (Evans City, Pa., Seneca Valley) scored Gainey to make the Thiel lead 4-2.
Russell would then finish off the Thunder as he got Wheaton out in order in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings including striking out five of the nine Thunder hitters.
The complete game by Russell marks the first by a Tomcat pitcher this year, and the second of his career. In his nine innings of work, he gave up just seven hits and two walks while striking out seven and allowing just one earned run.
Thiel will look to continue its winning ways on Wednesday morning as they will compete against Dominican University at 10 a.m. at Terry Park in Fort Myers. Josh Russell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) is today's guest on the team's spring break blog; check it out at tomcatathletics.blogspot.com.
