WAYNESBURG, Pa. (May 2) -- The Thiel College Baseball team dropped both halves of a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader to Wayneburg University Saturday from the Waynesburg Baseball & Softball Complex to cap the 2026 season.
Thiel ends the year 8-30 (4-18) while the Yellow Jackets end their campaign 13-17 (4-18) with wins of 8-5 in game one and 7-6 in the nightcap.
Game One -- Thiel 5, Waynesburg 8
Thiel pulled ahead 3-0 in the third as Clavin Cackowski had a bases-loaded walk and
Joey Schimizzi (Willowick, Ohio/Willoughby South) laced a 2-run single. The home side answered with 8 runs across the next four frames to lead 8-3.
Thiel added a run in the seventh before bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth.
Colton Brightwell (Eighty Four, Pa./Bentworth) had a bases-loaded free pass to make it 8-5 before the home side escaped with the win.
Schimizzi finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run.
Kolten Kruszewski (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) had a pair of hits and a walk while bringing home 1.
Mason Suss (Monongahela, Pa./Ringgold) started for Thiel and worked five innings. He fell to 2-6.
David Medich (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) logged a pair of scoreless frames in relif.
Game Two -- Thiel 6, Waynesburg 7
Thiel knotted things in the sixth on a
Cole Sherwin (Karns City, Pa./Karns City) two-bagger to make it 1-1. The Jackets retook the lead in the bottom of the frame with a two-out single to make it 2-1.
The Tomcats took advantage of a two-out error and walk in the seventh that led to a
Calvin Cackowski (Wickliffe, Ohio/Wickliffe) grand slam, making it 6-2 Thiel.
With two outs in the eighth, Waynesburg's Kaden Flambard thought he was hit by a pitch and began running to first before the plate umpire called him back. Waynesburg head coach Michael Impellittiere was then subsequently ejected for arguing the decision as was Waynesburg reliever Mike McCreedy following the next pitch. After the theatrics, the home side plated the eventual winning run on a wild pitch to make it 7-6. The visiting bats went quietly in the ninth.
Cackowski finished his stellar senior season in Greenville with 11 home runs on the year, which is tied for third-most in team history, and 49 RBIs, the fifth-most in team history. His 11 long balls are third-best in the PAC while his 49 RBIs lead the league.
Sherwin finished with a hit, run, RBI and walk each while Brightwell was 2-for-4 with a run as each capped their collegiate careers.
Aidan Ochs (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon) had a hit and a run in his Thiel game.
Zach Smith (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville) scored twice and had a hit.
Dennis Fedele (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) started for Thiel and went 7.2 innings before taking the loss (3-7). He recorded six strikeouts.
