(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) - Freshman Jake Samad (Burlington, Ky./Conner) threw a one-hitter of game two today (Sunday, April 10, 2011) as the 23rd-ranked Thomas More College baseball team swept Saint Vincent College in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) tripleheader at Thomas More Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Saints won game one, 12-1, game two, 11-1, and game three, 17-3.
With the sweep, the Saints improve to 18-3 overall and 8-2 in the PAC and the Bearcats fall to 8-15 overall and 0-7 in the PAC. This is the third straight year that Thomas More has played a tripleheader and the Saints are 8-1 in those games.
In game one, the Saints scored two runs in the first, five in the second, four in the third and one in the sixth, while they held Saint Vincent to one in the sixth.
The Saints were led at the plate by sophomore shortstop David Kennett (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City), who was two-for-three with a home run, three runs batted-in and three runs scored. Two other Saints had multiple hits in the game as senior left fielder Max Robbins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) was two-for-three with two RBI and sophomore right fielder Ryan Darner (Burlington, Ky./Covington Catholic) was two-for-four with a RBI and a run scored.
Sophomore Mike Hager (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) earned the win on the mound as he pitched six innings giving up one run on six hits and striking out nine. Senior Chris Simon (Alexandria, Ky./Bishop Brossart) pitched one inning of relief and gave up only one hit.
In game two, Thomas More scored three in the third, two in the fourth, five in the fifth and one in the sixth, while Samad held the Bearcats in check as he didn't give up a hit or a run until two-outs in the seventh. He earned the win as he pitched six and two-third inning and gave up only one unearned run and struck out three.
Offensively, the Saints were again led by Kennett as he was two-for-four with a home run, three RBI and one run scored. Three other Saints had multiple hits in the game as senior third baseman Sam Schmeltzer (Aurora, Ind./South Dearborn) was two-for-four with a double, a RBI and a run scored, Darner was two-for-three with two RBI and a run scored and sophomore center fielder Brandon Nutini (Edgewood, Ky./Covington Catholic) was two-for-three with two RBI and a run scored.
In the final game of the day, the Saints plated one run in the first, four in the second, five in the third, three in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the eighth, while the Bearcats scored one in the fourth, one in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Darner led the Saints' offense in game three as he was five-for-five with two home runs, a double, five RBI and five runs scored. Sophomore pitcher Grant Lewis (Mason, Ohio/Mason) was two-for-four with a a double, a RBI and three runs scored, senior catcher Nick Ryan (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) was two-for-three with two doubles, a RBI and three runs scored and Nutini was two-for-four with four RBI and a run scored.
Lewis earned the win as he pitched five innings, giving up one run (earned) on four hits and striking out two.
Thomas More returns to action on Tuesday (April 12) when it travels to Delaware, Ohio for a 4 p.m. non-conference game with Ohio Wesleyan University.