Box Score FORT MYERS, Fla. – An eight inning error opened the door for Alvernia University to break a 7-7 tie and come away with an 8-7 victory over the Thiel College baseball team in a non-conference game Wednesday afternoon.

It was an Alvernia wild pitch that allowed the Tomcats (2-3) to take the lead in the second. Freshman Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) hit a two-out single, advanced to third on a Nick Schiavonni single, and scored on the Crusaders' miscue.
 
Alvernia got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the second, scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead. After a scoreless top of the third, the Crusaders added two more runs on an error and on a double-steal.
 
The Tomcats responded with a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI groundout by Smith that scored Jarod Nanna (Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh), who made it all the way to third on a misplayed ball hit to right field. The score remained 4-2 until the bottom half of the fourth, when, despite getting a double play, a run scored, leaving the Tomcats in need of a big inning.
 
That inning came for Thiel in the fifth, as four runs crossed the plate to give the Tomcats a 6-5 lead. Senior Nick Rossmiller (Butler, Pa./Butler) swatted a one-out, two-run triple to left field to start the scoring for the Thiel, and scored moments later on a Nanna double to right field. Sophomore Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) followed that up with a single through the right side to score Nanna from second to make the score 6-5 in favor of the Tomcats.
 
Thiel's lead was brief, however, as Alvernia's Bill Turner homered to right field to score two in the bottom of the fifth and give the Crusaders a 7-6 advantage.

After both teams were held scoreless in the sixth, the Tomcats scored on a Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) single up the middle in the seventh to tie the game, 7-7. After reliever Cody Northcutt came on for starter Jaden Nozicka (Portage, Mich./Portage Central) and promptly retired the side, the game rolled into eighth inning with the two teams deadlocked at 7.
 
Two miscues in the bottom of the eighth did in the Tomcats, as a throwing error allowed Leon Stimpson to reach first safely. After Stimpson stole second to get in scoring position, another miscue allowed him to score from second to give the Crusaders an 8-7 lead, leaving the Tomcats trying to mount their own rally in the ninth. The Blue and Gold could not put a scoring chance together and Alvernia came away with the victory.

Thiel turned in 15 hits in the defeat, with Eric King (Butler, Pa./Butler), Eric Steininger (West Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg) and Smith each posting three hits.
 
Northcutt (1-1) took the loss in relief for the Tomcats despite not allowing a hit or an earned run in two innings of work.  

Thiel will be back in action on Thursday to they take on Wilmington College of Ohio. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.