GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College softball team swept a pair of non-conference games from the Hiram Terriers Friday at Tomcat Park. Thiel won the first game 8-7 and the second game 7-4.
In the first game, Thiel plated a pair of runs in the first inning. The Tomcats maintained a 2-0 lead until the Terriers tied up the game in the top of the fourth.
Quinn Ursprung (Bel Air, Md./C Milton Wright) gave the Tomcats a big boost in the fifth when she hit a two-run homer over the left field fence, but the Terriers came back with four runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.
Thiel scored a pair of runs, one on
Megan Hepler's (West Sunbury, Pa./Moniteau) single up the middle, in the bottom of the sixth to force a 6-6 tie heading into the final frame.
Hiram surged ahead 7-6 on an infield hit in the top of the seventh, but
Vanessa Falce (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) brought home the game-tying run on a single to right field in Thiel's last at-bat and
Miranda Reesman (Vandergrift, Pa./Leechburg) followed with a two-out walk-off double to center field to end the game.
Ursprung led Thiel with a home run and two RBIs.
Leah Woytek (Hillsville, Pa./Mohawk) and Reesman both recorded two hits, including one double apiece.
Madison Fullmer (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) picked up the win for the Tomcats. She allowed seven runs, five of which were earned, on nine hits.
Allyssa Kidwell (Fort Mohave, Ariz./Mohave Accelerated) staked the Tomcats to a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the second game when she belted a single down the right field line. The Terriers went ahead 2-1 in the top of the fourth, but the Tomcats got that run back in the bottom half of the inning on Fullmer's sacrifice fly to left field.
Hiram eked out a run in the top of the fifth, but Thiel plated five runs in the bottom of the inning to earn the win. Kidwell drove in two of the five runs on a double to center field.
Katlyn Pennell (Mooresville, N.C./Liberty Prep) and
Ali Arter (Johnstown, Ohio/Johnstown-Monroe) also drove in one run apiece on outfield singles.
The game was called due to rain with one out in the top of the sixth inning.
Kidwell went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a double.
Jessica Kelley (Freeport, Pa./Freeport) and Arter both tallied two hits.
Kelley earned the win. She allowed four earned runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Thiel is scheduled to play the Penn State Beaver Lions Saturday at Tomcats. The first game of the non-conference game is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
