FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Thiel College baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against Bluffton University Sunday to open play in the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.
 
In game one, The Tomcats fell behind early. After two scoreless innings the Beavers got to Thiel starter Matt Gayda (Pittsburgh, Pa./Allderdice) in the third. Gayda allowed three runs, two of which were earned, before being relieved by Jonathan Oden in the third. Bluffton added another run in third to put Thiel behind 4-0.
 
Thiel answered in the bottom of the inning as Alex Lam (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro)'s groundout scored Zach Hudecek (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes) to put the Tomcats on the board. Thiel trailed 4-1 after three.
 
Bluffton plated three in the fourth to put the game one out of reach. The Beavers would go on to score two more runs to make it a 9-1 win in favor of Bluffton.
 
The Beavers picked up where they left off offensively in game two as they scored a run in the first on a fielder's choice to take an early 1-0 advantage. Bluffton used a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly to add three more runs in the fourth as it stood 4-0 after four.
 
Thiel answered in the fifth as Nick Grice (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) collected an RBI sacrifice fly that scored Jake Marino (Pittsfield, Pa./Youngsville) to make it 4-1. Thiel kept the offense coming in the sixth as Filippo Costanzo (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) singled up the middle to score two Tomcats to make it even at 4-4.
 
The game remained tied until the Beavers plated two in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead heading into Thiel's final at-bat. In the top of the seventh, Thiel was not able to get any runners in scoring position and fell by a final score of 6-4.
 
Thiel will face Alvernia University Monday at Terry Park Field #1. The game will begin at 9 a.m.