March 7, 2007

Wolverines open 2007 season in Cocoa Beach

COCOA BEACH, Fla. -- The Grove City College softball team opened the 2007 season by going 2-4 at the Cocoa Expo March 1-3. Grove City began the trip by sweeping Milwaukee School of Engineering March 1, 25-0 and 13-2.

Friday, the Wolverines dropped both ends of a doubleheader against NAIA Warner Southern, 4-3 and 7-2. Saturday night, NAIA Carlow won the first game of a doubleheader with Grove City, 8-4. Carlow then pulled out a 5-4, 8-inning win in the nightcap.

In the opener against Milwaukee School of Engineering, Grove City pounded out 25 hits en route to the 5-inning victory. The Wolverines broke the game open with a 13-run second inning in which 17 batters came to the plate.

Senior pitcher Lauren Carlson (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) drove in six runs with a triple and three singles in four at-bats. Senior catcher Kristy Bogusz (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) went 5-for-5 with four RBIs. Senior center fielder Paula Rice (Fredericksburg, Ohio/Waynedale) tripled, singled twice and scored five runs.

Also for Grove City, junior Kristen Hughes (Volant, Pa./Grove City) added a double, two singles and three runs scored. Senior infielder Andrea Settle (Pylesville, Md./Harford Christian) and junior Abby Greiner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) both went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Sophomore shortstop Amy Fisher (Streetsboro, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) singled twice and drove in four runs.

Carlson earned the win, striking out six in five innings. It is Carlson's first career shutout.

Grove City's 25 runs scored against MSOE represents the second-highest single-game total in Grove City history. Grove City opened the 1996 season with a 28-0 win over Pitt-Bradford.

In the nightcap against MSOE, a nine-run second inning propelled Grove City to victory. Fisher doubled twice for Grove City while Bogusz doubled, singled and drove in three runs. Carlson and Greiner also doubled. Fisher earned her first collegiate pitching victory, allowing two runs in five innings of work.

Fisher homered, singled and drove in all three runs Friday afternoon in Game One of Grove City's doubleheader with Warner Southern. Carlson also doubled. Carlson took the setback in the circle despite yielding just two earned runs in seven innings.

Warner Southern jumped out to a 4-1 lead after three innings in Friday's second game. Fisher surrendered four earned runs in two-plus innings and absorbed the defeat. Carlson gave up three runs in four innings of relief.

Grove City belted 11 hits but left 11 runners on base. Greiner went 3-for-4 while Fisher, Rice and sophomore Rachael Risbon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) all had two hits.

Saturday night against Carlow, Hughes collected three of Grove City's five hits in the opener. She also swiped a pair of bases while Rice scored twice. Carlson took the pitching defeat, allowing seven earned runs in seven innings.

In the nightcap, Grove City took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning but Carlow scored twice in the home half of the inning for the win. Greiner and Risbon both doubled and singled for the Wolverines while Hughes and Rice both singled twice. Fisher pitched into the eighth inning and allowed three earned runs.

For the week, Carlson hit .538 (7 of 13) with eight runs batted in. She also slugged .846. Rice hit .476 (10 for 21) and scored 10 runs while Fisher drove in a team-high nine runs during the trip.

Grove City will open the northern portion of the schedule March 24 at Penn State Beaver. The home opener is March 29 against Ursuline.

Milwaukee School of Engineering Box Score (Game One)        Milwaukee School of Engineering Box Score (Game Two)

Warner Southern Box Score (Game One)                              Warner Southern Box Score (Game Two)

Carlow Box Score (Game One)                                             Carlow Box Score (Game Two)

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