Box Score (CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The top-seeded Thomas More College baseball team fell, 6-5, to fourth-seeded Washington & Jefferson College today (Thursday, May 7, 2015) on the first day of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Baseball Championship Tournament at Thomas More Field in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
With the loss, the Saints fall to 27-11 and will play third-seeded Thiel College tomorrow at 1 p.m. in an elimination game. With the win, the Presidents improve to 26-14 and will play second-seeded Waynesburg University in the winners' bracket final at 10a.m. tomorrow.
W&J took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. The Saints cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first when freshman third baseman Bailey Abbatiello (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) scored on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Nick Connor (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder).
The Presidents scored four runs in the third inning to increase the lead to 6-1. In the fifth inning, the Saints cut the lead to 6-2 when freshman second baseman Ben Laumann (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) scored on a run batted-in ground out by junior designated hitter Donovan Pogue (Sharonville, Ohio/St. Xavier). Thomas More cut the lead to 6-3 in the sixth inning when junior shortstop Marcus Woelfel (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison) scored on a W&J error.
Thomas More cut the lead to 6-5 in the seventh inning when Connor scored on a single by sophomore right fielder Ben Kenning (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and sophomore center fielder Casey Metzger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) hit an RBI single scoring Pogue. The Saints weren't able to plate a run in the eight and nine inning and W&J won the game, 6-5.
Kenning led the team at the plate as he was three-for-five with a double and a RBI. Two other Saints had multiple hits as Abbatiello was two-for-four with a double and a run scored and Laumann was two-for-five with a run scored.
Junior pitcher Logan Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) suffered the loss as he pitched three inning giving up six runs (two earned) on six hits. Junior pitcher Taylor Smith (Crestview Hills, Ky./Beechwood) pitched four shutout innings of relief and gave up six hits, while striking out one. Sophomore pitcher Ken Ruberg (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) pitched the eighth and ninth innings and gave up one hit, while striking out two.
