FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Thiel College baseball team lost a non-conference game to the Wilkes Colonels, 8-7, Tuesday afternoon.
 
Wilkes got on the board first, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the first inning. But the Tomcats responded in the top of the second on a Wilkes error.
 
Wilkes opened up a 6-1 lead, before Chase Morrison (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) drove in Michael Aches (Pittsburgh, Pa./Canevin). Freshman Calvin Cackowski (Wickliffe, Ohio/Wickliffe) then drove in two runs to make the score 6-4.
 
Going into the top of the ninth inning, the Tomcats trailed 8-4. But Nick Jacobs (New Castle, Pa./Union) drove in two runs on a double, and Aches drove in a run to make it 8-7, which is how the game would end.
 
Jacobs went 2-for-4 and recorded two RBI's. Morrison and Cackowski also went 2-for-4, with Cackowski recording two RBI's. 
 
Freshman Ian Mills (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) started the game on the mound for the Tomcats. He went 3.0 innings and gave up five runs. Charlie Luedtke (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) relieved Mills, and pitched 4.1 innings, giving up six hits and three runs. Luedtke also struck out seven. Garrison Martin (Beloit, Ohio/West Branch) finished the game on the mound for the Tomcats.
 
For Wilkes, AJ Brosious went 2-for-3 and recorded two RBI's. Darren Kerdesky also recorded two RBI's. 
 
Tegan Shortlidge went 6.0 innings for the Colonels, giving up four runs and striking out three giving him the win. Sawyer Kemp gave up three runs. Mike Show closed out the game for the Colonels to earn the save. 
 
The Tomcats look to bounce back against Kenyon on Wednesday. The non-conference game is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.