April 19, 2016

Grove City sweeps Bethany

BETHANY, W.Va. -- The Grove City College baseball team improved to 14-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference by taking both ends of a league doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Bethany. Grove City (22-7) pulled out an 8-7 win in the opener and then prevailed 9-2 in Game Two at Bethany Park.

In Game One, Grove City bolted to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when junior first baseman Matt Waugaman (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) belted a two-run homer, his seventh clout of the season. Waugaman's blast also scored junior shortstop David Laylock (Mars, Pa./Pine-Richland), who opened the game with a double.

In the third, Waugaman drove in Laylock with a sacrifice fly, pushing the lead to 3-0. Three batters later, senior designated hitter Travis Royer (Forest, Va./Twin Valley, Pa.) cracked his first collegiate grand slam to give Grove City a 7-0 lead.

Laylock scored Grove City's eighth run when he came home on a fourth-inning single by junior catcher Andy Fritz (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch). Laylock finished 3 for 4 while Fritz went 2 for 2. Royer added a double.

Bethany pulled to within 8-5 in the fourth inning, then added two more runs in the sixth. However, junior reliever Cedric Hils (West Homestead, Pa./Central Catholic) and sophomore Drew Landis (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) combined for the final four outs. Hils pitched a scoreless inning while Landis recorded the final out for the save.

Freshman pitcher John Bini (Staten Island, N.Y./Xaverian) earned the win by pitching 5 2/3 innings. Bini (8-0) struck out four while allowing five earned runs.

Landis then started the nightcap and took a shutout into the sixth inning. He allowed two runs in six innings while fanning four. Landis did not walk a batter, improving to 3-3 on the season.

Laylock homered, singled and drove in three runs to help pace Grove City's 12-hit attack. Junior second baseman Brandon Gresh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) went 3 for 4 with two runs scored while sophomore center fielder Tyler Graham (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) doubled and scored three runs. Waugaman and junior right fielder Nolan Myers (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) also doubled.

Grove City scored three times in the first as Fritz lofted a sacrifice fly while Royer and freshman third baseman Micah Burke (Gilbert, Ariz./E.V.A.C.) both had run-scoring singles. Fritz singled in Graham in the second, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Laylock broke open the game with a three-run homer in the top of the fifth while Graham's run-scoring double highlighted a two-run seventh inning.

Myers pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief.

At 22-7, Grove City is off to the best start in program history. Grove City's 14-2 conference record is also the program's best through 16 games. Grove City is tied for first in the league with Thomas More (14-2).

The Wolverines will visit Thomas More this weekend for a three-game series. Friday's nine-inning game starts at 3 p.m. while the teams' doubleheader Saturday will begin at noon.

First Game Box Score        Second Game Box Score

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