Thomas More claims fifth PAC title

Thomas More claims fifth PAC title

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WASHINGTON, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – Second-seeded Thomas More College rebounded from an 8-7 loss to top-seeded Washington & Jefferson College Saturday in the title round of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Baseball Championship Tournament with a 7-5 victory in the winner-take-all nightcap to secure this year's title. 

The league championship is Thomas More’s fifth (2010-11, 2014, 2016, 2018).

The league’s four-team, double-elimination championship tournament was held at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park in Washington, Pennsylvania. 

Saturday’s title-round matchup between W&J and Thomas More was the seventh since 2006. 

With Saturday’s title, Thomas More earns the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship, with regional preliminary round play scheduled for Thursday-Monday, May 17-21. Team selections and regional site assignments for the Division III Championship are scheduled to be announced Sunday, May 13. 

2018 PAC Baseball All-Tournament Team
Pos. Name Yr. School Hometown | High School
1B Bobby Finn Jr. Saint Vincent Venetia, Pa. | Peters Township
P Jimmy Malone So. Saint Vincent Connellsville, Pa. | Connellsville
DH Christian Aldrich So. Thiel Cranberry Township, Pa. | Central Catholic
P Brandon Eliadis Sr. Thomas More Lawrenceburg, Ky. | Anderson County
C Sam Hauer Jr. Thomas More Cincinnati, Ohio | Elder
1B Sean Lawrence Jr. Thomas More Independence, Ky. | Simon Kenton
SS Jacob Whitford Jr.  Thomas More Fort Thomas, Ky. | Highlands
P Bryce Schnatterly Sr. W&J Cranberry Township, Pa. | Seneca Valley
3B Mullen Socha Jr. W&J Independence, Ohio | St. Ignatius
OF Dan Trettel Sr. W&J Wexford, Pa. | North Allegheny
 
Saturday, May 12 • Game G
Washington, Pa. | Ross Memorial Park
(2) Thomas More at (1) W&J
Thomas More 7, W&J 5 Box score
W&J junior shortstop Spencer Howell (Oakwood, Ohio | Oakwood) led off the top of the second with a single to left center and later scored after sophomore third baseman Adam Jaworski (Canonsburg, Pa. | Peters Township) belted a sacrifice fly to center. Thomas More senior third baseman Tyler Smith (Independence, Ky. | Simon Kenton) tripled to right to lead off the bottom of the second and later scored on a single by junior shortstop Jacob Whitford (Fort Thomas, Ky. | Highlands) to even the score at 1-1. Junior outfielder Joshua Boeckmann (Cincinnati, Ohio | Elder) had a one-out RBI single in the third to give Thomas More a 2-1 lead before Whitford tripled down the right field line to extend the lead to 4-1.  Senior second baseman Ben Laumann (Cincinnati, Ohio | Oak Hills) singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and later came around to score and give the Saints a 5-1 advantage after junior catcher Sam Hauer (Cincinnati, Ohio | Elder) bounced into a double play later in the inning. Smith led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to left field and later scored on a Whitford single later in the inning to extend the lead to 6-1. Howell led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run to left to cut the deficit to four, 6-2. Junior first baseman Nick Jenkins (Hilliard, Ohio | Hilliard Bradley) led off the bottom of the sixth with a double down the right field line and later scored on a fielder’s choice by first-year outfielder Brady Reynolds (White Oak, Ohio | Lasalle) to up the lead to 7-2. Jaworski singled to start the seventh and scored on a RBI double by Socha before senior first baseman Mark Merlino (Irwin, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) belted a two-run home run to left to cut Thomas More’s lead two, 7-5. Coming in to Saturday’s winner-take-all game, junior righty Sean Lawrence (Independence, Ky. | Simon Kenton) had just four starts on the season, and certainly made his fifth count. He allowed five runs (5 earned) on 10 hits with a pair of strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. He also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Whitford finished 3-for-3 with a triple, hit by pitch and four RBIs. 
 
Saturday, May 12 • Game F
Washington, Pa. | Ross Memorial Park
(2) Thomas More at (1) W&J
Thomas More 8, W&J 7 Box score
Thomas More junior first baseman Sean Lawrence (Independence, Ky. | Simon Kenton) delivered a two-out, RBI single down the left field line in the top of the first to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. After drilling a two-out double to right field in the second, W&J junior catcher Justin Griffin (Lombard, Ill. | Glenbard East) came around to score on a Thomas More throwing error later in the inning to even things up at 1-1. Senior first baseman Mark Merlino (Irwin, Pa. | Penn-Trafford) gave W&J a 2-1 lead with a two-out solo home run to right center in the third. W&J junior outfielder Dante Dalesandro’s (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Mount Lebanon) two-run double down the left field line to extend the lead to 4-1. After being hit by a pitch, Griffin would later score on a RBI groundout by sophomore third baseman Adam Jaworski (Canonsburg, Pa. | Peters Township) to up the lead to 5-1. Junior outfielder Blaise Ostertag (Burlington, Ky. | Conner) laid down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the fifth, and a W&J throwing error would lead to a pair of Thomas More runs that cut the Presidents’ lead to two, 5-3. First-year outfielder Brady Reynolds (White Oak, Ohio | Lasalle)  dropped down a terrific bunt for a base hit later in the frame, scoring Ostertag and trimming the lead to one, 5-4. A Lawrence RBI groundout would level the game at 5-5 before senior third baseman Tyler Smith (Independence, Ky. | Simon Kenton) lined a two-out, run-scoring single to right to give the Saints the 6-5 lead. A sacrifice fly off of the bat of W&J senior second baseman Luke Zahren (Ingomar, Pa. | North Allegheny) in the sixth scored Dalesandro to even the score at 6-6. Merlino shot a two-out RBI single to right to give W&J the 7-6 lead later in the inning. Thomas More junior catcher Sam Hauer (Cincinnati, Ohio | Elder) led off the seventh with a solo home run to right to tie the score at 7-7. It was his ninth home run of the season. After leading off the bottom of the seventh being hit by a pitch, W&J senior catcher Dan Trettel (Wexford, Pa. | North Allegheny) scored on a double play turned by Thomas More to put the Presidents back in front, 8-7. Trettel went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and was hit by a pitch. Merlino and Dalesandro each had a pair of hits, two RBIs and a run scored. 
 
Friday, May 11 • Game E
Washington, Pa. | Ross Memorial Park
(4) Saint Vincent at (1) W&J
W&J 15, Saint Vincent 2 Box score
W&J struck early and often in Friday evening’s second elimination game, sending 12 to the plate in its seven-run first. Junior third baseman Mullen Socha (Independence, Ohio | St. Ignatius) led off the game with a single to left field then added a two-out, two-run double to left center later in the frame. The Presidents added three runs in the second, two in the fifth and another in the sixth to extend their lead to 13-0. Saint Vincent junior second baseman Nick LaCava (Monroeville, Pa. | Central Catholic) led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to center and later came around to score on a RBI groundout from sophomore first baseman Will Tsal (Monroe Township, N.J. | Monroe Township) for the Bearcats’ first run. Freshman third baseman Tom Bash (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Upper St. Clair) drove in Saint Vincent’s second run with a RBI single in the eighth. Sophomore Adam Jaworski (Canonsburg, Pa. | Peters Township) roped a two-out, two-run double in the top of the ninth to push W&J’s lead to 15-2. Senior righty Matt Heslin (McDonald, Pa. | Fort Cherry) gave the Presidents five strong innings in the nightcap, allowing two hits and striking out two in his 63-pitch effort. Socha finished 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored.  
 
Friday, May 11 • Game D
Washington, Pa. | Ross Memorial Park
(3) Thiel at (1) W&J
W&J 8, Thiel 1  Box score
Senior righty Bryce Schnatterly (Cranberry Township, Pa. | Seneca Valley) scattered six hits over 7 2/3 innings for W&J in Friday’s elimination game win over Thiel. He surrendered one run (earned) and struck out eight to improve his season record to 7-0. In the top of the fourth, junior designated hitter Mullen Socha (Independence, Ohio | St. Ignatius) blasted a two-run home run to left to give the Presidents a 2-0 lead. Three batters later, senior outfielder Dan Trettel (Wexford, Pa. | North Allegheny) followed with a run-scoring double to push the lead to 3-0. Senior second baseman Luke Zahren (Ingomar, Pa. | North Allegheny) was credited with a two-out RBI after drawing a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh, giving W&J a 4-0 lead. Thiel freshman third baseman Anthony Rago (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Baldwin) pulled the Tomcats to within three runs, 4-1, in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out, RBI single. The Presidents added a run in the eighth and three more in the ninth. W&J senior outfielder Ryan Sciullo (Vandergrift, Pa. | Kiski Area) finished 5-for-6 at the plate with a double, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Socha went 4-for-6 with a home run, two RBIs and two run scored.
 
Friday, May 11 • Game C
Washington, Pa. | Ross Memorial Park
(4) Saint Vincent vs. (2) Thomas More
Thomas More 11, Saint Vincent 1 Box score
Thomas More senior lefty Brandon Eliadis (Lawrenceburg, Ky. | Anderson County) continued the theme of exceptional pitching in this year’s championship tournament. He yielded one run (unearned) on four hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks in the complete game, 110-pitch effort. With Friday’s win Thomas More will advance to its ninth Championship Saturday, looking to secure its fifth league title. Leading 2-0 after two innings, the Saints sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the top of the third to push its lead to 8-0. Freshman outfielder TJ Dailey (McMurray, Pa. | Peters Township) broke up Eliadis’ no-hit bid after leading off the bottom of the seventh with a base hit. Dailey would later come around to score Saint Vincent’s lone run on a Thomas More throwing error. Thomas More junior first baseman Sean Lawrence (Independence, Ky. | Simon Kenton) went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Junior outfielder Blaise Ostertag (Burlington, Ky. | Conner) finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
 
Thursday, May 10 • Game B
Washington, Pa. | Ross Memorial Park
(4) Saint Vincent at (1) W&J
Saint Vincent 4, W&J 2 Box score
Saint Vincent sophomore lefty Jimmy Malone (Connellsville, Pa. | Connellsville) was brilliant Thursday against W&J, allowing two runs (2 earned) on 10 hits with a pair of strikeouts in the complete-game, 110-pitch win. Tied 1-1 midway through the fourth, W&J junior catcher Justin Griffin (Lombard, Ill. | Glenbard East) lined a two-out, run-scoring single to center to give the Presidents a 2-1 lead. After Saint Vincent junior outfielder Matt Marrone’s (Munhall, Pa. | Pittsburgh Central Catholic) RBI groundout in the fifth, senior outfielder Eddie Kilkeary (Latrobe, Pa. | Greensburg Central Catholic) and sophomore outfielder Ramon Milke (North Huntingdon, Pa. | Norwin) followed with two-out, run-scoring singles to give the visitors a 4-2 advantage. W&J sophomore righty Ben Marsico (Bradford Woods, Pa. | North Allegheny) took the loss, giving up four runs (4 earned) on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. He fanned five and walked one. 
 
Thursday, May 10 • Game A
Washington, Pa. | Ross Memorial Park
(3) Thiel vs. (2) Thomas More
Thomas More 4, Thiel 3 Box score
Sophomore catcher Andrew Giesey (Penn, Pa. | Penn Trafford) gave Thiel a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer to right center. Thomas More senior second baseman Ben Laumann (Cincinnati, Ohio | Oak Hills) cut Thiel’s lead to 2-1 with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the inning. Thiel senior Zach Hudecek (Gibsonia, Pa. | Deer Lakes) blasted a one-out, solo home run to right field in the sixth to give Thiel a 3-1 advantage. It was Hudecek's seventh home run of the year. Thomas More first-year outfielder Brady Reynolds (White Oak, Ohio | Lasalle) roped a two-out, two-run single to left field to even the score at 3-3. After leading off the bottom of the eighth with a single to right, junior first baseman Sean Lawrence (Independence, Ky. | Simon Kenton) scored the eventual game-winning run on a Thiel throwing error later in the frame. Senior righty Jayson Essell (Cincinnati, Ohio | Oak Hills) was terrific in the win. He allowed three runs (3 earned) on 10 hits with a walk and three strikeouts during his 108-pitch effort. Thiel sophomore righty Matt Gayda (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Allderdice) was saddled with a no decision, allowing three runs (3 earned) on eight hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.