May 13, 2006
Grove City falls to Presidents in loser's bracket, 10-7
WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team fell to 26-13 Saturday afternoon with a 10-7 loss to Washington and Jefferson (30-13) in the loser's bracket of the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at Ross Memorial Park. Washington and Jefferson now advances into the championship round to play Thomas More.
Grove City trailed 10-5 entering the ninth but eventually brought the tying run to the plate. Freshman center fielder Seth Thompson (Canton, Ohio/GlenOak) walked and came home on a wild pitch while freshman third baseman Cody Koontz (Moundsville, W. Va./John Marshall) walked and scored on an RBI single by sophomore catcher Ray Mertz (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler). However, Washington and Jefferson closer Ron Mitko retired junior first baseman Dan Bartkowiak (Fredonia, N.Y./Fredonia) to end the threat and the game.
Washington and Jefferson jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning as a Wolverine error led to three unearned runs. Grove City broke through in the second as Mertz doubled and then scored on a double by sophomore DH Pat Messner (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny).
Grove City trailed 4-1 in the fourth when Thompson led off with a triple. He later scored on a two-out single by senior shortstop Mike Ritter (Moon Township, Pa./Moon).
With the Wolverines trailing 7-2 in the fifth, freshman second baseman Ben Wilson (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) opened with a homer while Thompson and junior left fielder Chris Schwamberger (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison) followed with singles. Thompson would score on an error while Schwamberger came home on a sacrifice fly by Ritter.
Sophomore Chris Bowser (Stow, Ohio/Stow) took the loss for Grove City, allowing three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. He yielded seven hits. Junior Eric Hull (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) pitched 1/3 of an inning while junior Justin Miller (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) fired the final four innings. Miller allowed three runs (all earned) in his appearance, the longest of his career.
Messner doubled twice while Mertz and Ritter both had two hits. Thompson, who went 2-for-3, scored three runs. Mitko led the Presidents with a 3-for-4 effort.
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