GREENVILLE, Pa. – A strong pitching performance by Parker Meyers (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park), coupled with the hitting of Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) and Matt Elko(Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire), led the Thiel College baseball team to a 5-2 Presidents' Athletic Conference victory over Waynesburg University on a sunny Wednesday afternoon at Tomcat Park.
 
Smith went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. Elko went 1-for-2 with his first collegiate home run while three other Thiel (8-14, 2-9 PAC) hitters collected a hit. On the other hand, Waynesburg (10-14, 6-3 PAC) was stymied by Thiel's pitchers all day and stranded 13 runners in the nine-inning contest.
 
The Tomcats got their offense going early in the day when they strung together two walks, a hit and took advantage of a Jacket error in the bottom of the first, capped off by a RBI-single to left field by Smith. With two outs, Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) hit a towering pop-up to shallow right field that got lost in the sun, allowing Josh Doody(Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) to score from second to stake Thiel to a 2-0 lead.
 
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the fifth when a single back up the middle by Max Gunn (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) plated Smith, but Koller was thrown out at home on a questionable call to end the threat for Thiel.

The Jackets struck in the top of the eighth as a RBI-single and a sacrifice fly scored two to make it a one run game, 3-2.

With two-outs and Gunn on first after reaching on an error, Elko connected on a 2-0 pitch, sending it deep to right field for his first collegiate home run. The sophomore from Middlefield, Ohio is making the most of his addition to the every day starting lineup, as his .429 slugging percentage trails only Smith for tops on the team.
 
Riley Schwertz (Zelienople, Pa./Freedom) came on in relief of Pat Duncan (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) and worked a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season. Meyers went seven innings, allowing just five hits and no runs while striking out two to improve to 3-3 on the year.
 
The Tomcats will be back in action tomorrow when they travel to Grove City, Pa. to take on the Wolverines. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.