March 21, 2015

Wolverines split at Waynesburg to open PAC play

WAYNESBURG, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team played their first games since their spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, splitting their Presidents' Athletic Conference-opening doubleheader at Waynesburg on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines held on for a 3-2 win in game one before falling 5-0 in the nightcap.

Sophomore first baseman Matt Waugaman (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) led Grove City (5-7, 1-1 PAC) to the game one victory, going 2-4 with a double and a home run and knocking in all three Wolverine runs.

In the top of the third of game one, Waugaman broke a scoreless tie with a double to left field that scored senior second baseman Josh Hodges (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City), who had reached on a two-out walk, from first to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead.

The score would remain 1-0 into the top of the sixth inning. After Hodges led off the inning with his second walk of the game, Waugaman sent a ball soaring over the left field fence to extend Grove City's lead to 3-0. The home run was Waugaman's second of the season.

Senior Mason Stephens (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) would lose his shutout bid in the bottom of the sixth as Waynesburg would attempt a comeback in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs. However, sophomore Jimmy Palmer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) would enter the game to get the final out of the sixth and then struck out the final two batters as part of a 1-2-3 seventh inning to earn the save and preserve the victory.

Stephens earned the win on the mound, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out five and walking two over five and two-thirds innings of action.

In game two, Grove City couldn't get its offense going, managing just three hits in a 5-0 loss.

The Jackets (3-10, 1-1) scored single runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The Wolverines threatened in the top of the fifth when sophomore catcher Andy Fritz (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) and sophomore outfielder Nolan Myers (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) with consecutive one-out singles, but Waynesburg would turn a double play on the following ball in play to erase the chance and get out of the inning.

Sophomore Ben Finlan (State College, Pa./State College) took the game two loss, allowing six hits and three runs over three innings. Junior Ryan Gallagher (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) allowed one unearned run in two innings of relief while senior Chris Curran (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Brush) allowed one while pitching the sixth inning.

Grove City is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday when they travel to PAC-foe Geneva for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

Game One Box Score            Game Two Box Score

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