KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Thiel College softball team opened play in the Diamond 9 Citrus Games at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Sunday with a 1-1 record. The Tomcats defeated Simmons College 2-1 after opening the tournament with a 5-2 loss to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

The Tomcats scored both of their runs in the fourth inning against the Sharks. Jessica Kelley (Sarver, Pa./Freeport) and Madison Fullmer (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) had the key hits, both RBI-singles.

Freshman right-hander Mackenzie Gullette (Dunlap, Ill. /Dunlap) earned the win against Simmons. She allowed one run, which was unearned, on six hits while going the distance. Gullette struck out a pair of batters and refused to issue a walk. Tori Gomes took the loss. She allowed two earned runs on five hits. Gomes struck out two batters and allowed three walks.

Alexandra Moleski led the Sharks at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance. She also scored a run.

Against 12th-ranked WPI, Thiel cut the lead in half in the second inning when Alexa Fike (Export, Pa./Franklin Regional) hit a two-out, RBI-single into right field, which allowed freshman Vanessa Falce (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) to score.

The Tomcats also picked up a run in the seventh on Leah Woytek (Hillsville, Pa. /Mohawk)'s infield hit, which brought home Fullmer who reached base on a double.

Fike and Woytek each recorded a pair of hits and one RBI against the Engineers. A.J. Corradi (Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch), Falce and Fullmer also contributed one hit apiece.

Kelley took the loss against WPI. She allowed five runs, four of which were earned. Kelley struck out a pair of batters and issued four walks. Casey Arpin earned the win. In five innings of work, she struck out four and allowed one run on five hits. Mackenzie Phillips earned the save with two innings of relief work.

Lindsay Gurska and Natalie Fabrizio each recorded three hits for WPI. Also, Cassie Garrcia tallied a pair of RBIs.

The Tomcats (1-1) will continue play in the Diamond 9 Citrus Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. on Monday. The Tomcats will face 2nd-ranked St. John Fisher at 1:15 p.m. and St. Joseph's of Maine at 3:30 p.m.