GREENVILLE, Pa. (April 18) -- The Thiel College Softball team dropped both halves of a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) twinbill with Washington and Jefferson College Saturday afternoon from Tomcat Park on Senior Day.
With her second-inning home run in game two,
Mackenzie Herman (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) set the Thiel career home runs record with 12. She added No. 13 later in the contest. Herman entered the day tied with teammate
Kylie Heid (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) and Danielle Swyer '11 with 11 dingers.
The Tomcats dip to 9-12 (3-15) while the Presidents rise to 14-18 (7-11).
Game 1: Thiel 2, W&J 5
Both sides traded 2-spots in the first as a Heid leadoff double followed by a
Kayley Risser (Reynoldsville, Pa./Dubois Central Catholic) bunt set the table for Herman whoe delivered a sacrifice fly. Risser scampered home on a wild pitch.
The visitors answered with 3 in the second, 2 of which came on wild pitches, to lead 5-2. The Cats put a runner on in all but one inning the rest of the way but were unable to cut into the deficit.
Heid and Risser each had a hit and a run while Herman finished with a RBI.
Herman got the start and allowed 5 runs in 1.2 innings to fall to 3-4.
Game 2: Thiel 11, W&J 16
Herman cranked a second-inning leadoff home run to center field to knot things at 1. The Presidents responded with 7 in the third before the Cats clawed back with 5 in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-6. Herman had a RBI walk while
Alaina Fedder (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area) smacked a 2-run single and
Makenna Oswalt (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) recorded a RBI one-bagger.
The Thiel bats stayed hot in the fourth as 2 came home on a wild pitch and a passed ball, respectively, to tie things. Herman capped the frame with a run-scoring triple to make it 9-8.
The visitors evened things in the fifth before Herman cranked her second home of the game, a 2-run bomb to left center, to push Thiel ahead 11-9. W&J took advantage of three Thiel errors in the seventh as they plated seven in the frame to spell the 16-11 final.
In addition to setting the Thiel career homers record, Herman produced a career-most five RBIs along with a career-high 12 total bases. She tied her carer best in runs with 3.
Heid finished 2-for-5 with a pair of runs while Fedder had a hit and run each along with two RBIs. Oswalt had a pair of hits and RBI. Risser was 1-for-4 with 2 runs and a walk.
Lily Merolillo (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge) was tagged with the loss as she allowed 8 runs (3 earned) in four innings. She falls to 3-6.
Looking Ahead
Thiel is back in action Monday for a 3 p.m. non-conference twinbill at Pitt Greensburg.
