GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team picked up a doubleheader sweep over the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action Saturday afternoon at Tomcat Park.
Matt Elko dominated the Waynesburg bats in the first game of the doubleheader. Elko struck out 13 batters, tying his career-high, and only allowed two hits and a walk. Waynesburg didn't register a hit until there was one out in the top of the fifth inning. After Jonathon Kletzli grounded out to Elko for the second out in the fourth inning, all of the Waynesburg batters that were putout were retired by strikeout.
Thiel got on the board in the fourth inning when Dan Koller came around to score from third on a double play. After Thiel put two runners on in the fifth inning, back-to-back doubles by Koller and Trent Smith plated three runs in the inning.
Nick Fowkes went a perfect 2-for-2 in the first game while Josh Doody also recorded two hits in the win.
Thiel throttled a late comeback attempt by Waynesburg en route to a 9-6 victory in the second game.
Waynesburg struck first in the top of the first inning but Thiel responded by tying the game at one in the bottom half of the first when Smith hit a RBI groundout to second base that allowed Elko to score after Elko led off the inning with a double.
Thiel pushed across three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Koller scored Elko from second on a RBI single to left field. Three batters later, Fowkes crushed a two RBI triple to right field that plated Koller and Bryan Mitchell.
Thiel added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth after Waynesburg scored run in the top half of the fifth. Brian Genco knocked in the first run of the fifth inning on a RBI single to center field that scored Fowkes from second base. During the next at-bat while Genco stole second, Doody stole home on a delayed steal. A batter later, Jake Marino brought Genco home on a RBI single to right field.
After Waynesburg cut into the Thiel lead 7-6 in the top of the sixth inning, Thiel added two runs of insurance in the bottom half of the sixth when Doody scorched a single to right field that allowed Fowkes and Mitchell to score.
Eight of the Thiel starters recorded a hit in the second game. Elko, Fowkes, Genco and Marino each colleced two hits.
Jaden Nozicka earned his third win of the season in 5.2 innings of work while Tanner Teconchuk notched his second save of the season striking out two over 1.1 innings.
Thiel (23-9, 12-4 PAC) will look to sweep the season series against Waynesburg when they hit the road tomorrow to take on the Yellow Jackets. First pitch will be at 2 p.m.