Box Score GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team rallied, but its comeback attempt came up just short, as it fell to the visiting Thomas More College Saints, 9-8, Monday at Tomcat Park.

The Tomcats fall to 6-9 with the decision, while the Saints improve to 9-7 overall.

Senior Nick Schiavoni (Boiling Spring, Pa./Trinity) led the Tomcats offensive effort going 2-for-5 with three runs driven in, while sophomore Sam Passafiume (Medina, Ohio/Medina) finished 2-for-3 with two walks. Sophomore Matt Elko (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire) added a pinch-hit RBI-single as part of Thiel's seven-run sixth inning.

The Saints plated the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. Thomas More added three more runs in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.
 
The Tomcats got on the scoreboard in the home half of the fourth, as Schiavoni led off the frame with a single through the right side of the infield, and advanced to second on a one-out balk. Sophomore Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) roped a single to centerfield, scoring Schivaoni to make the score 4-1 in favor of the visitors.
 
Thomas More put up another three-spot in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs on four hits to take a 7-1 advantage through four and a half innings.
 
The Tomcats responded with a seven run sixth, plating all seven with two outs. Smith reached on an error by the Saints' second baseman, and Passafiume followed with a walk. Sophomore Josh Doody (Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) ripped a single to left center, scoring Smith. Thiel wasn't done, as sophomore Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) was hit by a pitch and senior Michael Guarascio (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) walked on six pitches to score Passafiume. Elko, in his first plate appearance of the season, tagged a ball through the right side of the infield to score Doody to make the score 7-4 Saints. Junior Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) continued the two-out lightning for Thiel, as he singled into left to score Koller and cut the deficit to two. Schiavoni crushed a double to right center to clear the bases and put the Tomcats ahead 8-7.
 
After a pair of scoreless innings, the Saints were down to their final three outs. After a lead off double by Craig Hyson, Cody Makin belted a two-run home run to right center to put Thomas More up for good.
 
Freshman Kevin Forrester (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) made the start for the Blue and Gold going five innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits while striking out two. Fellow first-year Patrick Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) was saddled with the loss, as he threw three innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits. Sophomore Pat Duncan (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) threw a hitless ninth in relief of Fitzpatrick.
 
The Tomcats return to the diamond tomorrow, as they travel to Waynesburg, Pa. to take on the Yellow Jackets of Waynesburg University. First pitch of the Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.