April 24, 2012
Thiel edges Grove City
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team nearly rallied from a double-digit deficit Tuesday afternoon before falling just short in Presidents' Athletic Conference action at Thiel as the host Tomcats pulled out a 15-12 win.
Grove City trailed 13-2 after six innings before charging back with 10 runs over the next two innings. Junior right fielder Cameron Jones (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro) ignited Grove City's five-run seventh with a double. Junior DH Zach Struharik (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) produced a run-scoring groundout and junior first baseman Kyle Shock (Loudonville, Ohio/Hillsdale) added a run-scoring single, helping trim the lead to 13-5.
Following a double by freshman third baseman J.R. Willard (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), senior second baseman Brandon Durbin (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) drove in Shock and Willard with a single.
Grove City added five more runs in the top of the eighth. Sophomore shortstop Matt Corner (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock) and Jones both walked to begin the inning and junior center fielder Josh Sacks (Columbia, Md./Chapelgate Christian) loaded the bases with a bunt single.
Corner scored on a passed ball and Jones came in on a groundout by freshman left fielder Mason McFeaters (Harrisville, Pa./Franklin). Struharik singled in Sacks, slashed the lead to 13-10. Willard then doubled in Struharik and a Durbin groundout brought home Shock, who had singled.
Thiel added two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth and then retired Grove City in the ninth.
Willard finished 3 for 5 with his two doubles. Shock also went 3 for 5 with three runs scored. Durbin knocked in four runs while Jones went 2 for 4. Sophomore catcher Evan Hoskinson (Uniontown, Ohio/Green) doubled.
Junior pitcher Zach Butler (Massillon, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) started and took the setback for the Wolverines. He pitched five innings. Freshman Lee Coppock (Charlottesville, Va./Covenant School) pitched the final three innings in relief.
Grove City (5-24, 3-14 PAC) will host Waynesburg Wednesday at 3 p.m. in conference action.
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