LATROBE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team split a pair of Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) games with the Saint Vincent Bearcats on the road Friday afternoon. The Bearcats took game one 3-2, before the Tomcats earned the split with a 17-13 game two win.
The Tomcats headed into the doubleheader needing a split to stay in contention for a PAC Championship Tournament birth.
Game 1: Saint Vincent 3, Thiel 2
Saint Vincent took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. Thiel cut the deficit to 2-0 behind a
Colton Brightwell (Eighty Four, Pa./Bentworth) single that scored
Ethan Bintrim (New Castle, Pa./Shenango).
Saint Vincent added restored their two-point lead in the fourth inning, before the Tomcats finished the scoring in the fifth inning.
Thiel was led by Brightwell who went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Bintrim and
Nathen Prunty (Elyria, Ohio/Keystone) each went 2-for-4, while
Aidan Ochs (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Veron) went 2-for-4.
Saint Vincent was led by Alex Hess who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Dalton Nicklow went 1-for-3 with a homer.
Alec Katon (Ashtabula, Ohio/Edgewood) got the start for the Tomcats, going six innings, striking out six and allowing three runs, only one of which was earned.
Brady Rzodkiewicz (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) pitched the last two innings, giving up only one hit.
Tyler Dancu got the win for Saint Vincent, going seven innings, striking out eight and allowing two unearned runs. Alex Polito pitched the final two innings, striking out one.
Game 2: Thiel 17, Saint Vincent 13
The second game of the doubleheader featured a combined 30 runs on only 18 hits.
The game also featured five lead changes.
Saint Vincent got out to an early 6-0 lead after three innings. However, an eight-run inning for the Tomcats gave them an 8-6 lead, before the Bearcats added a run to make it 8-7.
The Bearcats then scored three run in the fifth inning to retake the lead, 10-8.
The Tomcats responded with a four-run sixth inning, before the Bearcats responded with three runs, retaking the lead.
A four-run seventh inning gave the Tomcats the lead for good, before they added a run in the ninth.
Thiel was led by
Mike Sittig (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley), who went 1-for-5 with five RBIs and a walk.
Colton Brightwell (Eighty Four, Pa./Bentworth) went 1-for-6 with four RBIs, including his first collegiate home run.
Chase Morrison (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) went 3-for-6 with four RBIs, while
Aidan Ochs (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Veron) went 5-for-6 with two RBIs.
Saint Vincent was led by Michael Klingensmith who went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a walk. Dalton Nicklow went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while Vincent Amatucci drove in two runs.
Nate Lucas (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) started for Thiel, going 2 1/3 innings.
Nathan Doutt (Edinboro, Pa./General McClane),
Josh Daum (Tionesta, Pa./North Clarion),
Josh Ickes (Greenville, Pa./Greenville),
Brock Matthews (West Sunbury, Pa./Moniteau) and
Ethan Bintrim (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) all pitched in relief. Bintrim got the win, striking out two.
Sean McAleer started for the Bearcats, going 3 1/3 innings, striking out one. Nate Davis got the loss, giving up two runs.
The Tomcats finish the regular season 15-22, including 10-10 in PAC play.
