FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Thiel College baseball team opened the 2016 season strong with a 10-2 victory over the MacMurray Highlanders in the first day of the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday morning.

The Tomcats provided plenty of insurance to back up their starter Matt Elko. The Tomcats scored seven of their 10 runs in the first two innings. In the first, Trent Smith singled home Bryan Mitchell to open the scoring. Three batters later, Sam Passafiume brought home Elko and Smith on a single to left field. Dan Koller then followed with a RBI single to right field that scored Trent Mosley.

The Tomcats added three runs in the second to extend the advantage to seven runs over the Highlanders. Elko opened the scoring in the second with a single to center field that plated Drew Dellert from third. After a double steal by Mitchell and Elko, Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Mitchell. Then, Josh Doody reached on a fielding error by the right fielder that let Elko cross the plate.

After the Highlanders scored their first run in the fourth inning, the Tomcats then added two runs in the top of the sixth when Trent Smith roped a single to right field that scored Dellert and Mitchell from scoring position.

The Highlanders countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth but the Tomcats responded with a run of their own in the top of the seventh. Koller ripped a double to deep right-center field that scored Passafiume all the way from first.

Elko went six innings, striking out five Highlanders and only allowed five hits. Smith went 2-4 with four runs batted in. Passafiume and Koller each knocked in two runs respectively.

The Tomcats (1-0) will be back in action on Monday when they take on the Haverford Fords in a doubleheader. The first pitch of the first game will be at 9 a.m. from the Player Development Complex.