FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Thiel College baseball team was defeated 7-2 by Heidelberg University in day two of the season Monday afternoon in Fort Myers, Fla.

The Student Princes got on the board first as Arneal Squibb hit a one-out single that scored Doug Miller to make the score 1-0. Heidelberg added two more runs off of freshman pitcher Matt Elko (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire) as Derek Hug hit a two-run home run to right field to increase the lead to 3-0.


Heidelberg added another run in the bottom of the third on a Ben Blystone sacrifice fly that plated Eric Monroe.

The Tomcats got on the board in the sixth inning as senior Eric King (Butler, Pa./Butler) lifted a fly ball to left field to score Nick Schiavonni (Boiling Spring, Pa./Trinity) from third. Thiel added another run later in the inning, as Eric Steininger (West Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg) ripped his second double of the season to score Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) and narrowed the Heidelberg lead to 4-2.

The game did not remain that score for long as the Student Princes added three more runs off of reliever Riley Schwertz (Zelienople, Pa./Freedom) in the bottom half of the seventh inning to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

Offensively, the Tomcats recorded four hits with Steininger, Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin), Schiavonni and Koller each registering one a piece. On the mound, Elko went five solid innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out three in his first collegiate start.

The Tomcats will be in action again on Wednesday at 1 p.m. as they take on Ohio Northern University.