GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College softball team lost a pair of 8-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) games to the Washington & Jefferson Presidents Friday at Tomcat Park. Thiel lost 5-3 in the first game and 13-7 in the second game.
 
The Presidents opened the first game with a pair of runs. Thiel came back with a run in the bottom of the first when Leah Woytek (Hillsville, Pa./Mohawk) scored on Miranda Reesman (Vandergrift, Pa./Leechburg)'s groundout.
 
W&J picked up a third run in the second inning, but the Tomcats tied up the game in the third when Vanessa Falce (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) crushed a 2-RBI double to center field.
 
The game remained tied 3-3 over the final four innings. The Presidents won the game with a pair of unearned runs in the eighth.
 
Woytek led the Tomcats with two hits and two runs scored in the first game. Falce recorded a double and two RBIs.
 
Shannon Baker (Corry, Pa./Corry) absorbed the loss. She allowed three earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.
 
The Tomcats plated five runs in the third inning of the second game, two of which were thanks to a double to left field by A.J. Corradi (Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch). Reesman and Jessica Kelley (Freeport, Pa./Freeport) also drove in a run apiece on sacrifice flies.
 
The Presidents bounced back with four runs in the fourth before scoring two more runs in the fifth to take the lead, 6-5.
 
W&J increased its lead to 7-5 in the top of the seventh, but the Tomcats managed to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Kelley drove in one run on a fielder's choice, and Chase Gifford (Buffalo, N.Y./City Honors School) went on to push Kelley across the plate on a 2-out double to right field.
 
The Presidents went on to score six unanswered runs in the eighth inning to secure the conference win.
 
Reesman went 3-for-3 in the second game with one RBI. Falce went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and one RBI.
 
The Tomcats will return to action Saturday when they host the Chatham Cougars at Tomcat Park. The first game of the PAC doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m.