May 5, 2012

Wolverines close with split

GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team concluded the 2012 season Saturday afternoon by splitting a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader with visiting Saint Vincent at R. Jack Behringer Field. Grove City earned a 7-3 win in the opener but Saint Vincent pulled out a 4-3 win in Game Two.

In the opener, junior pitcher Max Vickerman (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) fired his team-leading fifth complete game of the season and earned the win. He allowed one earned run in seven innings while striking out a pair.

Grove City took control of Game One by generating a three-run fifth inning. Sophomore left fielder Randen Schleiden (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit North) and freshman third baseman Mason McFeaters (Harrisville, Pa./Franklin) opened the inning with consecutive singles. Junior center fielder Josh Sacks (Columbia, Md./Chapelgate Christian) singled in Schleiden to break a 3-3 tie.

McFeaters then came home on a wild pitch and Sacks scored the third run of the inning when freshman first baseman J.R. Willard (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) roped a run-scoring single.

Grove City added an insurance run in the sixth as senior second baseman Brandon Durbin (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) doubled and later scored on a Schleiden single.

The Wolverines took a 3-1 lead in the first when Schleiden scored on a wild pitch, junior DH Zach Struharik (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) reached on a bases-loaded hit batsman and Durbin walked with the bases loaded.

Schleiden finished 3 for 4 and Sacks went 2 for 3. Both men scored twice.

In Game Two, Grove City (7-29, 5-19) trailed 3-0 but rallied to tie the game with a three-run fourth inning. Sophomore shortstop Tom Hawley (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) singled in McFeaters while Durbin followed by singling in Willard. Hawley tied the game when he stole third and then advanced home on an error.

However, Saint Vincent broke the tie in the top of the sixth. Grove City had the tying run on base in the sixth and seventh innings but could not come back. Struharik doubled and singled while Durbin went 2 for 3.

Junior pitcher Zach Butler (Massillon, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) threw a complete game for Grove City, yielding three earned runs in seven innings. Butler fanned two but took the setback.

Saint Vincent (23-17, 12-12) clinched the fourth and final spot in the conference tournament with its Game Two win. Grove City had qualified for each of the previous four league tournaments.

Grove City will lose Durbin and senior pitcher Andrew Krull (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) to graduation.

Game One Box Score                Game Two Box Score

Go to Wolverine Baseball