April 18, 2014

Tomcats edged by Titans 4-3

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - A two-out walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning by Westminster College's (8-15, 5-6 PAC) Duncan Watt dropped the Thiel College baseball team (11-17, 5-11 PAC) by a 4-3 score Friday afternoon.

Dylan Thomas was credited with the win for the Titans after retiring the two batters he faced in the ninth. Parker Meyers (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) pitched eight innings in a no-decision for Thiel. The right-hander scattered eight hits and struck out six batters, allowing just one earned run.

Thiel began its press against Westminster in the top of the first inning when leadoff hitter Cody Trinch (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) stroked a double to right field to give the Tomcats a runner in scoring position. After Trinch advanced to third on a fly out, Nick Schiavoni (Boiling Spring, Pa./Trinity) drove a pitch to center field that allowed Trinch to score easily and give Thiel a 1-0 lead.

The Titans tied the contest 1-1 with a sacrifice fly of their own in the bottom of the second.

The next three frames of the game were highlighted by tremendous pitching efforts on both sides of the diamond, including a pair of hitless stanzas manufactured by Meyers.

Westminster took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth, slugging three hits and taking advantage of a Thiel error to break the 1-1 tie.
 
The score remained that way until the top of the ninth. Down to their final three outs, Bryan Mitchell (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) opened the Tomcats' turn at the plate with a sharply-struck single up the middle. Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) laid down a terrific bunt single that advanced Mitchell and Brian Genco (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) followed with a bunt that resulted in a throwing error by the Titans' pitcher, scoring Mitchell from second to tie the game. After pinch-hitter Ryan Brumbaugh(New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington) was hit by a pitch, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Trinch gave Thiel a 3-2 advantage.
 
A pair of two-out singles undid the Tomcats in the bottom of the ninth. With runners on first and third and two-outs, Watt singled to left field to score the winning run for the Titans.

Koller was 3-for-4 with a run scored while Trinch and Josh Doody (Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) both notched multi-hit games. Trinch went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a RBI, while Doody went 2-for-3 with a walk.

The Tomcats return home on Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m. when they close their three-game set against the Titans.