LATROBE, Pa. – The Thiel Tomcats defeated the Saint Vincent Bearcats Thursday afternoon 3-0 to secure a spot in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Softball Championship Tournament title round on Friday.
 
Thiel scored the first run of the game in the fifth inning against Saint Vincent. With two outs and runners on the corners, Madison Fullmer (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria), who was on first base, drew a throw from the catcher, which allowed Casey Buechel (Allison Park, Pa./Deer Lakes) to score from third.
 
The Tomcats picked up a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Fullmer drew a one-out walk, and Leah Woytek (Hillsville, Pa./Mohawk) followed with an RBI-double to center field. Vanessa Falce (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) went on to score Woytek when she hit a single to center field.
 
Miranda Reesman (Vandergrift, Pa./Leechburg) led the Tomcats at the plate with two singles. Woytek doubled and scored a run.
 
Jessica Kelley (Freeport, Pa./Freeport) tossed a four-hit, complete-game shutout.
 
First-seeded Saint Vincent will face third-seeded Westminster in the tournament's second elimination game Friday at 10 a.m. Thiel will play the winner at noon in the tournament title round. The if-necessary game would be played at 2 p.m.
 
Friday's games were moved up one hour from their original start times due to expected poor weather.
 
The Tomcats will be playing for their first-ever PAC title Friday.