GREENVILLE, Pa. -- The Thiel College softball team dropped their home opening Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) contest to Grove City 7-2 Thursday afternoon from Tomcat Park.
Thiel falls to 1-2 in the conference with an overall record of 7-8 as the Wolverines advance to 11-3 overall (3-0 PAC).
Game 1: Thiel 2, Grove City 7
The Wolverines sealed the contest at the top of the seventh as they had a four-run rally to extend their lead to 7-2. A string of two-out hits turned a one-run game into a five-run deficit, highlighted by multiple RBI singles.
The Tomcats limited damage in the sixth and earlier worked around traffic, keeping Grove City from extending its lead despite multiple base runners.
In the fifth frame, Thiel inched closer to Grove City as
Kylie Heid (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) doubled to centerfield to bring
Makenna Oswalt (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) home, who reached on a single.
The Blue and Gold got on the board in the third inning with smart base running from Heid and a single through the left side from
Ava Gilmore (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex Area).
The contest began as a pitching battle, with both teams trading limited scoring chances. Grove City broke through first with a run in the second and two in the third.
On the mound,
Alaina Fedder (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) pitched 6.2 innings,as Merolillo came in to close out the game. Fedder threw for 110 pitches and had three strikeouts.
Heid led the attack with two doubles and an RBI as Gilmore, Fedder and Oswalt each grabbed one hit.
Game 2: Thiel 1, Grove City 0 - Suspended in the top of the third frame.
In the top of the third, the contest was suspended due to lighting and future weather conditions.
Thiel led 1-0 in the bottom of the first after Heid doubled to center field and was brought home off a sacrifice fly from Gilmore.
The Blue and Gold are up next on Saturday, Mar 28 as they host Geneva for a double header at 1 p.m.
