GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team erased an early deficit with two big frames to pick up a 9-4 win over the Terriers of Hiram College Thursday.

Three Tomcats tallied multi-hit efforts, and seven of nine starters collected at least one hit in the win. Junior shortstop Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) hit 3-for-5 with three doubles, a stolen base, three runs scored and one driven in while sophomore second baseman Josh Doody (Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) connected on his first career home run, a solo shot over the left field fence that tied the contest 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth as the Thiel offense tallied its sixth double-digit hit total this season.

In addition to Trinch, sophomore designated hitter Sam Passafiume (Medina, Ohio/Medina) and sophomore first baseman Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) each recorded a pair of hits. Passafiume went 2-for-4 with a RBI, while Smith hit 2-for-3 with a game-high four RBIs.

Thiel broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a commanding 7-4 lead. Doody led off the inning with his first collegiate home run that knotted the score at 4-4. Sophomore catcher Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) followed with an infield single, and senior right fielder Nick Schiavoni (Boiling Spring, Pa./Trinity) moved Koller to second with a single into the gap in left. After the Tomcats recorded their first out of the inning, Trinch doubled down the left field line to score Koller and put Thiel ahead 5-4. The Tomcats later tacked on two more runs in the inning on a two-out error by Hiram's third baseman.

A five run lead was more than enough for Thiel's pitching staff, as five pitchers combined to limit Hiram to no-runs and just four hits over the final five innings to secure the win for the Tomcats.

Sophomore pitcher Matt Elko (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire) improved to 2-1 on the hill after working two scoreless frames, allowing just one hit while striking out two.

Sophomore right-hander Ron DeAmicis took the loss in relief for Hiram, allowing five runs, three of which were earned, on six hits in two innings of work.
 
Thiel produced the first runs of the ballgame in the bottom of the first to go up 2-0. With one out and two on base, Smith drove a ball to left field to score Trinch and Passafiume followed with a RBI-single to right field to stake Thiel to an early 2-0 advantage.

Hiram answered in the top of the second with a run on two Tomcat errors to trim Thiel's lead to 2-1.
 
The Terriers climbed back to take a brief 4-2 lead in the top of the third, scoring three runs on three hits.
 
Thiel chipped away at Hiram's lead in the bottom half of the third, as a RBI-single by Smith drew the Tomcats to within one, 4-3.


The Tomcats scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead, and added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal the victory.

The Tomcats return to action Saturday, March 29, when they host the Thomas More Saints in Presidents' Athletic Conference play. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.