April 20, 2006
Wolverines top Lake Erie, 11-6
STRUTHERS, Ohio -- The Grove City College baseball team improved to 19-6 overall Thursday night with an 11-6 victory over Lake Erie at Cene Park in non-conference action. The Wolverines rallied from a 6-4 deficit in the middle innings to earn the victory. It is Grove City's fourth straight win.
Senior right fielder Jerry Ott (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) led Grove City's 12-hit attack with a 4-for-5 night, including a triple. Ott scored three runs for Grove City and also threw out a runner at third base.
Grove City took a 3-0 lead in the first inning as senior shortstop Mike Ritter (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) singled in junior left fielder Chris Schwamberger (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison). Sophomore DH Mike Hess (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) followed with a two-run double off the left field wall that scored Ritter and sophomore third baseman Bryan Pierrot (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth).
Ritter scored Grove City's fourth run of the game in the third as he came home on a single by sophomore catcher Ray Mertz (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler). Lake Erie (12-22) rallied to take a 6-4 lead in the fifth but the Wolverines took the lead for good with a four-run fifth. Freshmen Seth Thompson (Canton, Ohio/GlenOak) and Ben Wilson (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) each had run-scoring singles in the fifth. A wild pitch, an error and a passed ball also contributed to Grove City's outburst.
The Wolverines then scored twice in the seventh and once in the eighth to seal the win. Thompson finished 2-for-2 with a pair of runs batted in while Mertz went 2-for-4. Junior first baseman Dan Bartkowiak (Fredonia, N.Y./Fredonia) doubled and scored.
Junior reliever Neil Hoagland (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) earned his first collegiate victory. Hoagland pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and fanned two. Sophomore Andy Lightholder (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) recorded the final five outs to earn his first collegiate save.
Junior Eric Hull (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) made his first collegiate start and pitched into the fourth inning. Hull allowed four runs, all unearned. Freshman Matt Tindall (Copley, Ohio/Copley) pitched two innings of relief.
Grove City's 19 wins are the second-most in program history. The Wolverines won 24 games in 1999 and also went 19-10 in 2001.
The Wolverines will host Washington and Jefferson Friday afternoon in a single nine-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference game at 3 p.m.
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