GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team earned two important victories over the Presidents of Washington & Jefferson College in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader held at Tomcat Park Wednesday afternoon.
The Tomcats rallied back from trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Presidents 4-3 in the first game.
Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) hit the eventual game-winning two-run home run over the right field fence in the sixth inning that scored
Bryan Mitchell (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan). Smith went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Smith, Mitchell and
Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) each had two-hit games for the Tomcats. Each of Trinch's hits were doubles, and he also stole a base.
Matt Elko (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire) pitched six sold innings, giving up only two earned runs and striking out five, to record his fifth win of the year.
Pat Duncan (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) pitched a clean seventh inning to earn his fourth save of the season.
The bottom of the sixth proved to be the lucky inning once again for the Tomcats in the second game of the doubleheader. The Tomcats were trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth and pulled out a 4-1 victory over the Presidents.
The Tomcats led the inning off with
Austin Schwanke (Warren, Pa./Warren) reaching on a fielding error by the shortstop.
Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) bunted to the pitcher, who threw the ball into center field, allowing Schwanke to advance to third.
Josh Doody (Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) then singled into left field, scoring Schwanke.
Bryan Mitchell (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) brought home Doody and Trinch on a bunt that the pitcher threw away. Mitchell scored on the same play when the throw from right field got away from the third baseman.
Kevin Forrester (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) picked up his first victory of the season, striking out three and only giving up one run.
Kris Karr (Warren, Ohio/Champion) picked up his first save of the season.
The Tomcats (16-4, 6-2 PAC) will return to action Thursday, April 2 at 2 p.m. when they take on the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets in a PAC contest.
