NKyTribune staff
The Thomas More College softball team clinched the Presidents’ Athletic Conference regular-season championship on Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader from visiting Thiel College.
The Saints won the first game, 3-2, and completed the sweep in the nightcap with a 10-2 victory in five innings.
The Saints finished the regular season with a 27-13 overall record, 17-1 in the PAC. Thomas More will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s PAC Tournament, which will be played at Thomas More Field on Friday and Saturday. The full field and tournament schedule will be announced Monday evening.
Thiel ended the regular season at 12-22 overall, 7-11 in the PAC.
In the first game, sophomore catcher Kenzi Dickerson’s RBI single down the left-field line plated Andrea Gahan with the winning run. Junior pitcher Alix DeDreu earned the win in the circle as she pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out five.
Senior center fielder Laura Finke was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, DeDreu was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, and Dickerson was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
In the nightcap, Thomas More plated 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and cruised to the win. Senior pitcher/shortstop Dallis Knotts was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored, while senior catcher/designated player Bree Appel was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Knotts started in the circle and settled for a no-decision as she pitched three innings, giving up two runs (both earned) on four hits and struck out one. DeDreu earned the win by pitching two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out one.
TMC MEN’S TENNIS WINS PAC TITLE: The Thomas More men’s tennis team won its second straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference title on Saturday at the Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The Saints won the championship with 45 points. Rounding out the top three teams were Grove City in second place with 38 points, and Washington & Jefferson in third place with 35 points.
Thomas More won five championship matches, including three in singles. Jeffrey Schenk captured No. 2 singles with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Saint Vincent. Sheldon Preisler won No. 3 singles with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Washington & Jefferson. Jared Haught won No. 5 singles with a 6-2, 6-1 decision over Geneva.
In doubles completion, Haught and junior Derrick Kwok won their No. 1 championship match 8-5 over Westminster, and the No. 2 tandem of Schenk and Preisler were 8-5 winners over Saint Vincent in their championship match.
Thomas More earned the conference’s automatic bid the NCAA Division III Tournament. The NCAA field and first-round tournament locations will be announced at noon on May 7.