April 16, 2005

Bethany sweeps Wolverines

BETHANY, W. Va. -- The Grove City College baseball team dropped both ends of a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader at Bethany Saturday afternoon. The Bison pulled out a 5-4 win in the opener, then claimed an 11-8 victory in the second game.

In the opener, the Wolverines (4-17, 1-8 PAC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second before Bethany bounced back. Grove City scored an unearned run in the top of the first while run-scoring singles from senior Michael McMillen (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and junior Mike Ritter (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) in the second extended the lead to 3-0.

Bethany took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the third before Grove City cut the lead in half. Ritter singled and scored on a double by senior Joel Diller (Hartville, Ohio/Marlington). In the bottom of the seventh, Grove City loaded the bases but left three runners on base.

Ritter finished 3-for-3 while senior catcher A.J. Stedford (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) went 2-for-3.

Senior Mike Gundy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) took the loss for the Wolverines, allowing five runs in two-plus innings. Junior Mike Kennedy (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) fired three scoreless innings of relief while sophomore Eric Hull (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) pitched a perfect sixth.

Grove City stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of Game Two as freshmen Michael Busin (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) and Ryan Jones (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) each roped run-scoring doubles. Junior center fielder Jerry Ott (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) and freshman catcher Ray Mertz (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) each cracked run-scoring singles during the four-run outburst.

However, Bethany tallied three unearned runs in the bottom of the first and added two more runs in the second. Three Bison errors allowed Grove City to take a 6-5 lead in the third. Busin's solo homer in the fourth extended Grove City's lead to 7-5.

Bethany took control in the fifth, though, posting a five-run inning that knocked Wolverine starter Luke Lester (Dover, Ohio/Dover) from the game. Lester took the loss, allowing five earned runs in four-plus innings. Hull and sophomore Justin Miller (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) each pitched one inning in relief.

Busin went 2-for-3 with three runs scored while Mertz had a career-high three hits in four at-bats. Ott and Busin both knocked in two runs while freshman Bryan Pierrot (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) went 2-for-4 and scored twice.

Grove City will host Penn State Behrend Wednesday afternoon in a single 9-inning non-conference game at 3 p.m.

First Game Box Score            Second Game Box Score

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