CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – The Thiel College baseball team suffered a doubleheader sweep to the Thomas More Saints in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup Saturday afternoon.
Thiel fell to Thomas More 9-6 in the first game and 14-4 in the second game.
Thiel scored first in the top of the first inning when Trent Smith hit a RBI groundout to second base that scored Matt Elko from third base. Thomas More responded with a run in the bottom half of the first inning.
Brian Genco led off the top of the second inning with a solo home run over the center field fence. Thomas More followed up with two runs in the bottom of the second inning and three runs in the bottom of the third before Genco struck again with another solo home run over the center field fence with two outs in the top of the fourth.
Thiel didn't score again until the top of the seventh inning. Thiel was trailing 9-3 before scoring three runs with two outs in the seventh. After back-to-back hit by pitches, Elko doubled home Nick Grice on a hit down the left field line. Dan Koller and Smith hit consecutive singles to score Bryan Mitchell and Elko.
Elko pitched four innings and allowed four earned runs while striking out seven. Nick Bucci relieved Elko and pitched two innings. Bucci struck out four batters and gave up two earned runs.
Thomas More got out to an early eight-run lead in the second game before Thiel scored their first runs in the top of the third. Mitchell brought Grice home on a RBI single to left field. Elko followed up with a single up the middle that scored Daniel Patrice. Elko came home from third base two batters later when the Thomas More pitcher threw away a pickoff attempt on Koller at first base.
Thomas More answered with four runs in the third and two runs in the fourth. Thiel didn't respond until the seventh inning when Alec Varley hit a RBI infield single that scored Alex Lam.
Thiel (11-6, 0-2 PAC) will look to rebound tomorrow when they finish the three-game series against the Thomas More Saints. First pitch of the nine-inning contest is scheduled for Noon from Crestview Hills, Ky.