BETHANY, W.VA. (April 2) -- The Thiel College Softball team split a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader with Bethany College Wednesday at Bison Stadium. Thiel was the designated home team as the game was supposed to be played at Tomcat Park but was moved due to poor weather.
The Tomcats move to 10-8 (4-4) while the Bison sit at 17-2 (5-1).
Game 1 -- Thiel 4, Bethany 1
Jensen Stehlik (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Nordonia) drew a one-out free pass and
Dani Ficeti (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) popped an infield single to put two on in the first.
Mackenzie Herman (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) stepped to the plate and ripped her second homer of the year over the left-field fence to make it 3-0.
After striking out two in the first,
Becca Landis (Kinsman, Ohio/Mathews) struck out the side in order in the second. Landis K'd the side again in the fifth. After putting girls on second and third with no outs in the sixth, she regrouped to get a fly out and two more punch outs to keep Thiel up 3-0.
With two gone in the bottom of the sixth, Herman drilled her second homer of the game to nearly the identical spot as her first earlier in the game to make it 4-0.
Bethany brought 1 in in the seventh and had the tying run at the plate with one out but Landis got a fielders choice and one final strikeout to seal the win.
Landis K'd a career-high 13 in the complete-game victory. The performance was her third career 10-plus strikeout game. She allowed just five hits and walked three to improve to 6-4 on the season.
Herman accounted for 3 of Thiel's 6 hits, 2 of the 4 runs and drove in all four batters. Her two-long-ball showing was her first career multi-homer game.
Kayley Risser (Reynoldsville, Pa./Dubois Central Catholic), Ficeti and
Abby Rottman (Hilliards, Pa./Moniteau) all collected one hit each in the victory.
Game 2 -- Thiel 10, Bethany 19
Bethany jumped ahead 3-0 in the first, but Thiel got 2 back in the bottom of the frame to make it 3-2. After the Bison plated 3 in the second, the Blue and Gold answered with 3 of their own as Risser,
Ava Gilmore (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex Area) and Stehlik each had RBIs.
Risser finished 2-for-4 with 2 runs and a RBI while Stehlik was 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run. Gilmore was 1-for-3 with 2 runs and a RBI and walk each.
Bethany made it 8-5 in the third, but Thiel answered in the bottom half as
Makenna Oswalt (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) tied things with a 2-run single.
Oswalt finished 3-for-4 with a RBI and run each.
Bethany got 4 more to lead 12-8 in the sixth. The Tomcats answered with a pair as Ficeti and Stehlik each brought home runs to make it 12-10. Bethany put the pin on the win with a 7-run ninth. Ficeti finished with two RBIs and a hit.
Landis started game two but was pulled after one inning.
Alaina Fedder (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) worked 3.1 total innings and was credited with the loss. At the dish, she had a hit and 2 runs.
Looking Ahead
Softball will host Allegheny College Saturday in a 1 p.m. twinbill from Tomcat Park.
