FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Thiel College baseball team fell 7-6 in a late inning thriller to Otterbein University on Saturday.
The Tomcats found themselves tied in the eighth with the bases loaded as
Nick Grice (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) stepped to the plate. Grice sent a drive to deep center field looking like it would clear the bases before Otterbein center fielder Tim Snyder made a miraculous diving grab preserving the tie.
Snyder's catch gave the Cardinals the chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth. Otterbein got one runner aboard before Connor Brett smashed a ball to left field for a two-run homerun. Otterbein led 7-5 heading to the bottom of the ninth.
The Tomcats came to bat needing two runs to extend the game as
Christian Aldrich (Cranberry Township, Pa./Central Catholic) sent a deep shot to right center to double.
Alex Lam (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) would plate Aldrich on a double of his own to right center making it 7-6 Cardinals. Thiel was unable to score Lam to tie the game and fell by a final of 7-6.
Thiel jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first as
Andrew Giesey (Penn, Pa./Penn Trafford) singled up the middle to score two and
Daniel Patrice (Munich, Germany/EST) grounded to third to score Giesey to make it 3-0 Tomcats after one. The game was tied at 4-4 before Otterbein scored on an error to take a 5-4 lead in the seventh.
Griffin Curry (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) singled to left to tie the game at 5-5 before the Cardinals would go on to take a lead that they would not surrender in the ninth.
Tomcat starter
Matt Gayda (Pittsburgh, Pa./Allderdice) went six innings allowing four earned runs and collected three strikeouts. Gayda earned a no decision.
Filippo Costanzo (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) and
Jake Marino (Pittsfield, Pa./Youngsville) each collected two hits on the day as the duo tops the Tomcat leader board for hits on the year. Marino sits at an even .500 batting average (17 of 34) on the season.
With the loss, The Tomcats fall to 2-7 on the year and will play the University of Greensburg in Greensburg, Pa. on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.
