May 1, 2006
Wolverines tie single-season win record
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team earned its College record-tying 24th win of the 2006 season Monday afternoon as the Wolverines earned a 5-3 home win over NAIA member Geneva at College Field. Grove City (24-10) tied the 1999 squad, which went 24-13, for the most wins in program history.
The victory is also Grove City's first over Geneva since a 10-9 win in 1983.
Grove City trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh but took the lead for good with a four-run outburst. A squeeze bunt by sophomore center field Jon Coyne (Solon, Ohio/Solon) scored pinch runner Steve Zimora (Cobleskill, N.Y./Richmondville) with the tying run.
A run-scoring groundout from sophomore third baseman Bryan Pierrot (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) gave Grove City a 3-2 lead while senior shortstop Mike Ritter (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) followed with a two-run single that scored Coyne and junior left fielder Chris Schwamberger (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison).
Pierrot homered in the first to give Grove City an early 1-0 lead. Sophomore catcher Ray Mertz (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) went 2-for-4 in the win.
Senior reliever Mike Kennedy (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory. Kennedy is now 2-3. Junior fireman Justin Miller (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) picked up his fifth save by recording the final five outs of the game. Miller struck out the side in the ninth and tied his own single-season school record with five saves.
Junior Eric Hull (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) started and allowed two runs in two innings. Freshman Zach Hillegas (Bridgeport, W. Va./Bridgeport) pitched one scoreless inning of relief, followed by two scoreless frames from junior Neil Hoagland (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch). Sophomore Andy Lightholder (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and junior Jarrett Wiggers (Panama, N.Y./Panama Central) combined for one hitless inning.
Grove City will host Pitt-Greensburg Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m. It is Grove City's regular-season finale before the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament May 11-13.
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