RUSSELLTON, Pa. (March 4) -- The Thiel College Baseball team dropped both ends of their season-opening doubleheader with Juniata College Tuesday afternoon from No Offseason Baseball Complex in Russellton, Pa.

The Tomcats drop to 0-2 on the year as the Eagles rise to 4-2 with a 4-0 win in game one and a 10-2 victory in the nightcap.

Game 1 -- Thiel 0, Juniata 4

Alec Katon (Ashtabula, Ohio/Edgewood) got the start in game one and navigated a clean first inning before allowing 3 runs in the second. The Eagles added a run in the third to pull ahead 4-0 and end Katon's afternoon after three innings.

Katon made his second consecutive opening-day start for the Blue and Gold. He struck out two in the appearance and allowed five hits to drop to 0-1.

The Tomcats had a runner at third in the fourth and men on first and second with two outs in the fifth but were unable to push a run across. Brady Rzodkiewicz (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) came on in relief in the fourth and twirled three shutout innings, allowing just one walk and hit each.

A Max Bihler (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) double to right followed by an Aidan Ochs (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon) hit by pitch with with one out in the seventh put the tying run in the on-deck circle, but the Eagles forced a pair of fielders choices to seal the win.

Game 2 -- Thiel 2, Juniata 10

Nate Lucas (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) got the ball in game two and worked a scoreless first before stranding runners at second and third with no outs in the second inning with a ground out and a pair of punch outs. The Eagles got to Thiel's pitching staff in the third and tagged the Tomcats for 8 runs.

Lucas struck out four in his season debut but took the loss. Hewitt Wilt (Geneva, Ohio/Geneva) notched his first collegiate strikeout to end the third.

Thiel answered in the fourth as Nathen Prunty (Elyria, Ohio/Keystone) brought home Bihler and Fletcher Hindman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) with a two-out, 2-run double to make it 8-2. Calvin Cackowski (Wickliffe, Ohio/Wickliffe) followed with a base hit to left but the Tomcats were unable to scratch another run across in the frame. Juniata added 2 more in the sixth to spell the 10-2 final.

Prunty finished 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs while Hindman was 2-for-4 with a run scored. 

Mason Suss (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold) worked 2.1 innings of clean relief with a trio of K's while Dillon Belknap (Lagrange, Ohio/Keystone) added three strikeouts in the sixth.

Looking Ahead

Baseball will travel to Ft. Pierce, Fla. for an eight-game spring break trip. The Tomcats will take on Lebanon Valley Saturday at 10 a.m.