GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team won both games in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader against the Westminster Titans on Wednesday.
In game one, the Tomcats took an early 5-0 lead through four innings and hung on to win 7-2.
Travis Harvey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) allowed just two runs (one earned) through seven innings in a complete-game effort. He struck out eight and walked none to earn his fifth win of the season. Harvey's earned run average improved to 3.20 on the season, good for eighth in the PAC.
Anthony Rago (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI and a run. In his return from an injury,
Seth Johnson (Magnolia, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) reached base four times on two hits and two walks and scored two runs.
Jamin Wentling (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) drove in a pair of runs and scored a run with two hits, including a double.
Nick Jacobs (New Castle, Pa./Union) hit a two-run double.
In game two, the Tomcats led 6-4 after four innings. The Tomcats again held off the Titans to win 9-6. Thiel outhit Westminster 18-11 in the win. In both games combined, the Tomcats walked just one Titan batter.
Wentling and Rago both went 5-for-5 in game two. Rago scored four runs and Wentling drove in four runs. Rago also doubled once and drove in a run. Wentling doubled twice for 11 on the season, good for second in the conference. The duo is top-two in the PAC in on-base percentage (OBP). Wentling owns a .525 OBP and Rago has a .509 OBP. Rago is also second in the league with a .457 batting average and first in hits (48).
Johnson and Jacobs each notched three hits. Jacobs doubled twice while Johnson recorded two RBIs and two runs.
Nick Guarnieri (Niles, Ohio/Mckinley) registered two hits and two runs.
On the mound,
Richard Crooks (Milan, Ohio/Edison) earned his third win of the season in 5.2 innings of work. He allowed four runs (three earned) and struck out three.
Alex Lutz (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) allowed two unearned runs and struck out one in 1.1 innings. Wentling earned his fifth save of the season in two shutout innings with one strikeout. He now ranks third in Thiel history in saves in a single season.
The Tomcats will host the Chatham Cougars Friday at 4 p.m. The Tomcats and Titans will complete their series next Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Westminster.
