FORT PIERCE, Fla. (March 12) -- The Thiel College Baseball team posted a doubleheader sweep of Kenyon College Thursday from the Lawnwood Baseball Complex.
The Tomcats took game one 5-2 and game two 7-6 as they improve to 2-7. The Owls dip to 8-8.
Game 1: Thiel 5, Kenyon 2
The Thiel bats got started early as a
Kolten Kruszewski (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep)Â had a run-scoring single followed by a
Zach Smith (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville) sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. The Cats added 1 more in the second on an error to make it 3-0. Kenyon added runs in the third and fifth to get within 1 at 3-2
After
Brady Rzodkiewicz (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) worked a scoreless sixth, the Blue and Gold plated a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles from
Mason Sherwin (Karns City, Pa./Karns City) and
Colton Brightwell (Eighty Four, Pa./Bentworth) to lead 5-2.Â
Isaiah Torres (Berea, Ohio/Berea-Midpark) worked a scoreless ninth with a strikeout and two flyouts for the save, sealing the win for the Tomcats.
Rzodkiewicz worked six innings of 2-run ball (1 earned) with five strikeouts to collect his first win of the season. Torres continued his solid start to the season with his first collegiate save.
Sherwin finished with a pair of hits and a run and RBI each. Brightwell reached base twice with a hit and a walk while scoring once and knocking in 1. Smith was 1-for-2 with a run and RBI each.
Game 2: Thiel 7, Kenyon 6
Kenyon plated 1 in the first before Thiel put a 5-spot on the board in the second to lead 5-1. The first run came home on a
Joey Fell (Warren, Ohio/Champion) hit by pitch before an error and fielders choice plated 1 each.
Max Bihler (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin) capped the inning with a 2-run single up the middle to make it 5-1.
The Owls got 2 back to make it 5-3 before the Blue and Gold added 1 on a
Nick Square (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 6-3. The Cats pushed the lead to 7-3 as a Brightwell bunt followed by an error brought in Fell.
Kenyon got 2 in the sixth and 1 in the seventh before
Adam Manuel (Petrolia, Pa./Karns City) induced a game-ending flyout tracked down by Fell in left center to seal the sweep.
Dennis Fedele (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) got the start for Thiel and worked a career-most five innings for his first collegiate victory. Fedele recorded five strikeouts in the win. Manuel worked the final inning for his first collegiate save.
Smith powered the Thiel offense, reaching base three times as he went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored once. Bihler reached base twice with a hit and a walk along with two RBIs and a run.Â
Brightwell, Kruszewski, Square and Fell each finished with an RBI in the win.
Looking Ahead
Thiel is back in action tomorrow morning at 10 for a clash with Lasell.Â
