April 5, 2016
Wolverines fall to Hiram in extras
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Sophomore infielder Drew Landis (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) drove in the game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth as the Grove City College baseball team rallied from a two-run deficit, but Hiram countered with a pair of homers and four total runs in the top of the 11th to defeat the Wolverines 11-7 in non-conference action on a cold Tuesday afternoon at R. Jack Behringer Field.
Junior first baseman Matt Waugaman (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) led the Wolverines by going 4 for 5 with a pair of runs and an RBI while Landis was 3 for 5 with the home run and two RBI. Junior designated hitter Andy Fritz (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) also drove in a pair of runs while going 2 for 6 at the plate with a double.
Trailing 7-5 going into the bottom of the ninth, senior Waugaman hit a leadoff single and came around to score when Fritz hit a double to deep center field, closing the gap to 7-6. Fritz, however, was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple, giving Hiram (3-13) its first out of the inning. After another out, Landis took a 1-2 pitch and homered over the left field fence to even the score at 7-7.
Senior Ryan Gallagher (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) allowed a lone single in the top of the 10th, but Grove City was retired in order in the bottom half of the inning. In the top of the 11th, Terrier second baseman Phil Ward hit a leadoff home run - his second of the day - to put Hiram on top 8-7. The Terriers would score two more runs in the frame on Wolverine errors and add a third on a Brandon Kish solo home run to left to close the scoring at 11-7. Waugaman would walk to start the Wolverine 11th, but Grove City couldn't take advantage as their five-game winning streak came to a halt.
Gallagher took the loss in relief despite allowing just three hits and one run while striking out five in three-plus innings of relief. Junior Nolan Myers (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) started for the Wolverines but lasted just two and one third innings, allowing two hits and three earned runs while striking out four and walking four. Junior Cedric Hils (West Homestead, Pa./Central Catholic) allowed six hits and four runs (two earned) over four and two-thirds innings while senior Kenny Saltsman (Salem, Ohio/Salem) allowed three earned runs on three hits over the final inning.
With 11 putouts on the day, Waugaman became Grove City's career-leader in the fielding statistic with 645, passing Brad Stombaugh's mark of 639 compiled from 2006 to 2009.
The Wolverines will look to bounce back Friday when they visit Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Saint Vincent in a single nine-inning game at 3 p.m.
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