GREENVILLE, Pa. – After totaling 16 hits in an 11-5 victory in Saturday's first game, the Thiel College baseball team bested that performance by cranking out 17 hits in game two to take a 12-8 triumph over Saint Vincent and sweep the PAC series from the Bearcats.
With the two wins, the Tomcats head into the PAC playoffs at 24-16 overall and 17-7 in the conference, while SVC falls to 18-18 and 14-10.
The early part of the first game saw the teams match runs, as the game was tied 4-4 after three frames. The key innings were the fourth and sixth when Thiel plated three and four runs, respectively. Seniors Eric Steininger and Jarod Nanna had the big hits; Steininger's RBI-single broke the 5-5 tie in the fourth and Nanna's two-run triple in the sixth put the game out of the Bearcats' reach.
The Thiel offense was sparked by Nanna, who was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Steininger had three hits, two RBIs and scored three times. Other contributors included senior Eric King, who had two singles, a run scored and a stolen base, senior Nick Rossmiller, who had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice, while sophomore Cody Trinch and freshman Trent Smith each collected a pair of base hits in the opener.
Taking the win on the mound was senior Cody Northcott. He improved to 8-3 for the season, and a perfect 7-0 in PAC play, after allowing five runs, although only three were earned, on nine hits and he struck out four in six innings of work.
In game two, Saint Vincent got on the board first, plating two runs in the top of the first on two hits and a Tomcat error.
Thiel got both runs back in a big way in the bottom of the first, as King took the fifth pitch of his at-bat deep to left field for a two-run home run, his first of the season, to tie the contest 2-2.
The Tomcats struck for two more runs in the bottom of the second, as Dan Koller doubled to right center to score Trinch from first, and Doug Farley followed with a RBI-single.
Thiel again added a single run in the bottom of the fourth, increasing its lead to 5-2. Saint Vincent answered in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs on four hits to regain the lead, 6-5.
After Steininger hit a ball that hopped over the left fielder's head and rolled to the wall for a double to lead off the bottom of the fifth, Coach Joe Schaly pinch hit freshman Trent Smith for Nanna. The move paid off, as Smith roped a single up the middle to score Steininger and tie the game, 6-6.
A six-run bottom of the sixth sealed the win for Thiel, as Rossmiller's two-run single and Smith's two-run double were the key hits of the inning.
Saint Vincent scratched together two runs on three hits in the top of the seventh, but it was too little, too late for the Bearcats.
Freshman Riley Schwertz earned his first collegiate win on the mound, as he went two and two third innings and allowed one earned run on four hits. At the plate, Farley and Koller each went 3-for-4 with a RBI while King, Steininger, Smith and Trinch each recorded two hits in the win.
Thiel is slated to return to the field Thursday as the second seed in the PAC baseball tournament, taking on the third-seeded Thomas More Saints at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pa.