GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team lost a non-conference game to the Mount Union Purple Raiders, 11-8, Monday afternoon.
 
Mount Union took an early 4-0 lead, before the Tomcats cut the Purple Raider lead to 4-2. 
 
The Purple Raiders would add runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings to take a 7-2 lead.
 
The Tomcats trailed 11-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. But the Tomcats would fight back.
 
After Gabe Yanssens (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) singled to right field to start the inning, the Purple Raiders walked two of the next three batters to load the bases. A third consecutive walk drawn by Nathen Prunty (Elyria, Ohio/Keystone) drove in a run, and also kept the bases loaded. 
 
Chase Morrison (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) then walked, making four straight walks to drive in another run. Then, freshman Calvin Cackowski (Wickliffe, Ohio/Wickliffe) lined a ball down the left field line for a double and two RBI's, cutting the Mount Union lead to 11-7.
 
Mike Sittig (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Morrison. But the rally would end there.
 
Offensively, Cackowski led the Tomcats, going 3-for-5 with two RBI's. Sittig also recorded two RBI's. Prunty walked four times, while Nick Guarnieri (Niles, Ohio/Mckinley) walked three times.
 
Senior Travis Harvey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) started the game on the mound for the Tomcats, pitching five innings and striking out four. He allowed five runs, with only three of them being earned.
 
For the Purple Raiders, Joe Procop went 2-for-3 and recorded one RBI. Andrew Witte, Zachary Mazza and Anthony Kemer all recorded two RBI's. 
 
Leo Fornara pitched five innings, allowing only two runs and striking out seven to earn the win.
 
The Tomcats travel to Penn-State Altoona for a doubleheader on Tuesday. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.