April 6, 2011

Wolverines rally to sweep Saint Vincent

LATROBE, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball team improved to 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Wednesday afternoon by sweeping a doubleheader at conference foe Saint Vincent. Grove City rallied for a 5-3 win in the opener and then pulled out a 2-1 victory in Game Two.

In the opener, Grove City trailed 3-2 in the top of the seventh but freshman DP Casey Schmidt (Woodbine, Md./Glenelg) belted a two-out, three-run home run to put the Wolverines on top.

In the bottom of the seventh, sophomore pitcher Lauren Clarke (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) retired the Bearcats to preserve the victory.

Grove City jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when senior Lauren Pennell (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) doubled in sophomore third baseman Amanda Sheppeck (Butler, Pa./Knoch). The Wolverines pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third when Sheppeck singled and eventually came home on an error.

Sheppeck went 2 for 3 with three runs scored while senior shortstop Christine Slater (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) and Pennell both went 2 for 4. Junior right fielder Grace Murtoff (Carlisle, Pa./Boiling Springs) doubled.

Clarke (7-2) fired a complete game for Grove City, striking out seven in seven innings. She allowed just six hits.

Grove City, the designated home team in the second game, broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth when senior center fielder Brittany Young (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro) singled and later came home on a Sheppeck double. The lead grew to 2-0 in the fifth when Schmidt doubled and then scored on a single by sophomore pinch hitter Emily Reece (Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson).

Saint Vincent (9-5, 0-4) cut the lead in half in the top of the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out. However, winning pitcher Pennell worked out of the jam to secure the win.

Pennell allowed just five hits in seven innings to record her third win of the season. Offensively, the Wolverines also had just five hits.

Grove City will host Allegheny Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in non-conference action.

Game One Box Score                Game Two Box Score

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