April 6, 2010

Grove City sweeps Saint Vincent

GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball team opened Presidents' Athletic Conference play Tuesday afternoon by sweeping both ends of a doubleheader against visiting Saint Vincent at College Field. Grove City earned a 5-1 win in the opener, then scored 10 runs over the final two innings to tally a 10-2 victory in the nightcap. It is Grove City's first doubleheader sweep of the season.

In the opener, Grove City broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the third as junior pitcher Lauren Pennell (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) roped a two-run single that scored junior shortstop Christine Slater (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) and freshman first baseman Lauren Clarke (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell).

The Wolverines then added a pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning.

Junior second baseman Sarah Young (Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut Academy) doubled and singled in the win. Grove City also benefited from five Bearcat errors in the opener.

Pennell picked up the win in the circle by allowing no earned runs and four hits in five innings. Clarke and freshman Amanda Sheppeck (Butler, Pa./Knoch) each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Grove City trailed 2-0 entering the sixth inning but the Wolverines rallied for six runs. Sophomore Leeza Covatto (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) ignited the inning with a pinch-hit single. She scored Grove City's first run on a Young single. Slater followed with a run-scoring double and Sheppeck then drove in a pair with a single down the right field line.

Freshman DH Brittany Barrett (East Liverpool, Ohio/Beaver Local) capped the inning with a two-run double.

Grove City (the designated visiting team in Game Two) tacked on four more runs in the seventh. Young and Slater both had run-scoring doubles while Clarke singled in a run.

Slater collected three doubles in the victory while Young went 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Sheppeck also went 2 for 4 and senior center fielder Heidi Lohr (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) scored twice.

Clarke pitched six innings and earned the win. She allowed two runs and five hits. Pennell pitched a scoreless seventh.

Tuesday's games do not count in the conference standings due to Saint Vincent's provisional membership status in NCAA Division III.

Grove City will visit Washington & Jefferson Thursday in a PAC doubleheader. The twinbill starts at 3:30 p.m.

Game One Box Score        Game Two Box Score

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