March 17, 2012

UPG sweeps Grove City

GREENSBURG, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team dropped both ends of a non-conference doubleheader to host Pitt-Greensburg Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Park. Pitt-Greensburg earned an 11-2 win in the opener and then prevailed, 8-6, in Game Two.

In the opener, Grove City grabbed a quick 1-0 lead when junior center fielder Josh Sacks (Columbia, Md./Chapelgate Christian) singled and eventually came home on a single by junior catcher Doug Wells (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's).

Sacks put Grove City ahead 2-1 in the top of the second when he reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a double by sophomore shortstop Tom Hawley (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora).

However, Pitt-Greensburg took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Bobcats then added six more runs in the fifth to sew up the win.

Junior pitcher Zach Butler (Massillon, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) started and struck out five in 4 2/3 innings. He took the defeat. Senior Andrew Krull (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Wells belted a three-run homer in the top of the first in Game Two, giving Grove City the early lead. Pitt-Greensburg eventually tied the game but Grove City reclaimed a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth when junior first baseman Kyle Shock (Loudonville, Ohio/Hillsdale) singled in junior left fielder Zack Struharik (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman).

Pitt-Greensburg rallied in the bottom of the sixth with five runs, however, to take an 8-4 lead. Grove City cut that lead in half when Hawley roped a two-run single to left. The Wolverines had the tying runs on base with no outs in the top of the seventh but could not tie the game.

Struharik went 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored while freshman center fielder Mason McFeaters (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) also went 2 for 4.

Freshman Will Chaney (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) threw a complete game for Grove City. He struck out six in six innings, yielding four earned runs.

Grove City will visit Case Western Wednesday afternoon for a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m.

Game One Box Score            Game Two Box Score

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