GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College baseball team suffered a 7-5 loss to the Allegheny College Gators in a game shortened to seven innings due to rain.
The Tomcats fell to 6-12 with the loss, while the Gators improved to 10-4 with the victory.
Allegheny scored first and took a 2-0 lead in the top half of the second with a RBI-double and a sacrifice fly.
The Gators added to their lead with two more runs in the top of the third and the fifth to stake claim to a 6-0 lead.
The Tomcats rallied for two runs in the home half of the fifth as sophomore Bryan Mitchell (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) led off the inning with a walk. Fellow sophomore Josh Doody (Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) singled to center, and the speedy Mitchell slid into third to give Thiel runners on the corners with no outs. After Doody advanced to second on a wild pitch and sophomore Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) loaded the bases after getting plunked by the Gators' pitcher, senior Michael Guarascio (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) lifted his offering to center field, deep enough to score Mitchell from third to give the Tomcats their first run of the ballgame. After the second out of the inning was recorded, senior Nick Schiavoni (Boiling Spring, Pa./Trinity) roped a single through the left side of the infield to score Doody and trim the Allegheny lead to 6-2.
After the Gators added a single run in the top of the sixth, the Tomcat bats went back to work, as sophomore Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) led off the inning with a double to deep center. Mitchell followed with a one-out, RBI-single that scored Smith, and later came around to score on a double to left center by Doody. Koller proceeded to tag a RBI-single to center that scored Doody and cut Thiel's deficit to 7-5.
After a scoreless seventh by both squads, the game was called due to rain.
Koller ended the day with a 2-for-2 performance with a walk and one run-batted-in. Doody managed to go 2-for-3 from the plate with a double and a RBI. Mitchell was 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a RBI and a walk.
Sophomore Matt Elko (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire) started on the mound for the Tomcats and took the loss, throwing two innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out three. Junior Parker Meyers (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) pitched two innings, allowing one earned run and striking out one. Freshman Kevin Forrester (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) threw an inning in relief of Meyers, allowing two earned runs on two hits while first-year Patrick Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) threw the final two innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out one.
Thiel will return to Presidents' Athletic Conference action Saturday at Washington and Jefferson College. The Tomcats return home on Sunday for their "strike out cancer" game against the Presidents. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and t-shirts will be on sale for $10. All proceeds from t-shirt sales will be donated to Relay for Life.
Allegheny scored first and took a 2-0 lead in the top half of the second with a RBI-double and a sacrifice fly.
The Gators added to their lead with two more runs in the top of the third and the fifth to stake claim to a 6-0 lead.
The Tomcats rallied for two runs in the home half of the fifth as sophomore Bryan Mitchell (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) led off the inning with a walk. Fellow sophomore Josh Doody (Grove City, Pa. /Grove City) singled to center, and the speedy Mitchell slid into third to give Thiel runners on the corners with no outs. After Doody advanced to second on a wild pitch and sophomore Dan Koller (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) loaded the bases after getting plunked by the Gators' pitcher, senior Michael Guarascio (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) lifted his offering to center field, deep enough to score Mitchell from third to give the Tomcats their first run of the ballgame. After the second out of the inning was recorded, senior Nick Schiavoni (Boiling Spring, Pa./Trinity) roped a single through the left side of the infield to score Doody and trim the Allegheny lead to 6-2.
After the Gators added a single run in the top of the sixth, the Tomcat bats went back to work, as sophomore Trent Smith (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) led off the inning with a double to deep center. Mitchell followed with a one-out, RBI-single that scored Smith, and later came around to score on a double to left center by Doody. Koller proceeded to tag a RBI-single to center that scored Doody and cut Thiel's deficit to 7-5.
After a scoreless seventh by both squads, the game was called due to rain.
Koller ended the day with a 2-for-2 performance with a walk and one run-batted-in. Doody managed to go 2-for-3 from the plate with a double and a RBI. Mitchell was 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a RBI and a walk.
Sophomore Matt Elko (Middlefield, Ohio/Berkshire) started on the mound for the Tomcats and took the loss, throwing two innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out three. Junior Parker Meyers (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) pitched two innings, allowing one earned run and striking out one. Freshman Kevin Forrester (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) threw an inning in relief of Meyers, allowing two earned runs on two hits while first-year Patrick Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) threw the final two innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out one.
Thiel will return to Presidents' Athletic Conference action Saturday at Washington and Jefferson College. The Tomcats return home on Sunday for their "strike out cancer" game against the Presidents. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and t-shirts will be on sale for $10. All proceeds from t-shirt sales will be donated to Relay for Life.