LATROBE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team swept a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader against the Saint Vincent Bearcats Wednesday afternoon.
Thiel recorded 12 runs in the first game en route to a 12-4 victory. In the second game, Thiel downed Saint Vincent 8-3.
Thiel got out to a fast start scoring seven runs in the first three innings. Trent Smith started the scoring for Thiel with a solo home run over the center field fence with two outs in the top of the first. In the second inning, Daniel Patrice knocked a RBI single to left field to score Bryan Mitchell from second base.
Thiel batted around in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Brian Genco singled to left field to plate Matt Elko from third base. Mitchell then followed with a bases-clearing triple to the right center field gap. Nick Grice brought Mitchell home a batter later with RBI single to left field.
Saint Vincent scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Thiel responded with four runs in the fifth inning. Mitchell scored on a wild pitch by the Saint Vincent pitcher. Two batters later, Patrice scored on an error by the second baseman. With the bases loaded with one out, another error in the infield, this time by the shortstop allowed Nick Fowkes to score. Josh Doody followed with a single to left field to plate Elko.
Thiel added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Drew Durasa came around to score on a single by Jake Marino. Saint Vincent attempted a brief comeback in the bottom of the seventh scoring three run in the inning but Alex Yoder shut down the Saint Vincent rally to secure the game one win for Thiel.
Elko pitched six quality innings for Thiel to earn the win. Elko only allowed one run on four hits and struck out eight batters in the victory.
After Thiel fell behind early in the second game behind a solo home run by Saint Vincent's Greg Martin in the second inning, Thiel put up five runs in the top of the third inning to take the lead. Dan Koller scored on a botched double play by Saint Vincent with one out in the inning. Mitchell plated Smith with a RBI single to right field in the following at-bat after the error. Grice brought Mitchell and Genco home on a three-run homer to right field.
Saint Vincent responded with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Thiel pushed the lead back to four in the top of the sixth inning when Fowkes scored from second on a fielding error by the Saint Vincent second baseman.
After Saint Vincent cut into the Thiel lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth, Thiel countered with two runs in the top of the seventh behind RBI singles by Elko and Koller.
Kevin Forrester picked up his fourth win of the season, pitching six strong innings. Tanner Teconchuk came in the seventh inning and sat down the Saint Vincent side in order.
Thiel (14-6, 3-2 PAC) will be back in action on Saturday, April 9 with a conference doubleheader against Westminster in New Wilmington, Pa. The first game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.