PITTSBURGH (April 28) -- The Thiel College Softball team swept Chatham University Monday afternoon at historic West Field in Pittsburgh. With the sweep along with Bethany College's 9-8 extra-inning win over Waynesburg University, Thiel officially clinched a spot in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament.
The Tomcats improve to 16-16 (10-10) with wins of 4-0 in game one and 8-0 in the nightcap to make the six-team year-end conference tournament for the first time since 2019. The Tomcats will be the No. 6 seed and will take on the No. 3 seed Thursday from College Field on the campus of Grove City College. The Cougars conclude their season 14-26 (6-14).
Becca Landis (Kinsman, Ohio/Mathews) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of game one en route to a one-hit shutout with a career-high 14 strikeouts. She got the ball again in game two and fired another one-hit gem.
Game 1 – Thiel 4, Chatham 0
Landis retired the first five batters of the game with strikeouts before hitting a batter in the second. She went on to get her sixth K to end the inning. Landis sent the side down in order with another K in the third.
The Tomcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the third. After nearly hitting a grand slam down the left-field line,
Dani Ficeti (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) smacked a run-scoring single to center to make it 1-0.
Alaina Fedder (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) followed with a frozen rope single just off the leaping shortstops glove to score 2 and make it 3-0. Thiel pushed across 1 more in the fifth on a
Makenna Oswalt (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) single to lead 4-0.
Ficeti finished 2-for-3 with a RBI while Fedder had a hit and two RBIs. Oswalt had a hit and a RBI.
Landis logged one more strikeout in the fourth and had a pair of backwards K's to end the fifth as she carried a no-hitter into the sixth. Landis got another strikeout, her 12th of the afternoon, to open the sixth and induced a ground out before a blooper fell into shallow left as
Kayley Risser (Reynoldsville, Pa./Dubois Central Catholic) and
Abby Rottman (Hilliards, Pa./Moniteau) collided trying to make the play.
The first two cougars reached to open the seventh, but Landis regrouped and collected strikeouts No. 13 and 14 to set a new career high and seal the victory.
Landis allowed just one hit and four baserunners for the game as she K'd a career-best 14.
Game 2 -- Thiel 8, Chatham 0 (5 Inn.)
Landis took the circle again in game two and worked two no-hit innings to begin the contest. Ficeti singled to open the second while
Kylie Heid (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) and
Jensen Stehlik (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Nordonia) each reached to load the bases for Risser, who roped a bases-clearing double to left-center to make it 3-0. Thiel added 2 more in the third as Ficeti had a run-scoring triple and Fedder produced a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
Ficeti was 3-for-3 in the nightcap with 2 runs and a RBI while Stehlik drew a pair of walks and scored twice.
The Tomcats continued the onslaught in the fourth as Risser lined a 2-run triple to right-center and
Ava Gilmore (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex Area) had a RBI single to grow the lead to 8-0.
Risser finished 2-for-3 with a career-high five RBIs and 1 run. Gilmore had a pair of hits and a RBI in the triumph.
After surrendering a leadoff infield single in the third, Landis went on to retire the next nine batters to seal her 11th victory of the season. She allowed just one hit and two baserunners while punching out three.
Looking Ahead
Thiel will be the six seed in the PAC Championship Tournament and will take on the No. 3 seed on Thursday at Grove City College at a to-be-determined time. The conference tournament is a six-team, double-elimination tournament that will run from Thursday through Saturday with the winner receiving the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. More information will be posted on the Thiel Athletics website and social media pages once it is available.
