April 21, 2011

Wolverines sweep Chatham

PITTSBURGH -- The Grove City College softball team improved to 15-13 overall Thursday afternoon by taking both ends of a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader at Chatham. Grove City earned a 6-1 win in the opener and then secured a 7-3 victory in Game Two.

Grove City (5-7 PAC) pounded out six extra-base hits in Game One after falling behind early 1-0. Senior Lauren Pennell (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) homered and doubled for the Wolverines while freshman DP Casey Schmidt (Woodbine, Md./Glenelg) went 4 for 4 with two doubles.

Sophomore third baseman Amanda Sheppeck (Butler, Pa./Knoch) doubled and singled and junior Elizabeth Covatto (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) tripled.

Grove City forged a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning when Schmidt doubled and then scored on a Sheppeck double. The Wolverines pulled ahead in the fifth on Covatto's run-scoring triple, which drove in senior center fielder Brittany Young (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro). Pennell then cracked a two-run homer, extending the lead to 4-1.

Schmidt doubled in senior shortstop Christine Slater (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) later in the fifth. In the seventh, Pennell doubled and scored the final run of the game on Schmidt's second double.

Sophomore pitcher Lauren Clarke (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) allowed one unearned run in 5 1/3 innings to earn her ninth win of the year. She allowed just three hits and no walks. Freshman Janna Strodtman (Wheaton, Ill./Timothy Christian) pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Grove City collected seven extra-base hits in Game Two, including six doubles. Sheppeck went 3 for 3 with three doubles and sophomore right fielder Elsa Klingensmith (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) added a triple. Schmidt doubled and singled while Pennell and Young also had doubles.

Schmidt and Sheppeck both doubled in the third inning, helping Grove City break a 1-1 tie. The Wolverines took command of the game with a four-run outburst in the fourth. Klingensmith led off with a triple and scored on Young's double. Young scored on a passed ball while freshman catcher Lauren Clifford (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) scored on a Sheppeck double.

Pennell picked up the pitching victory by allowing three runs (one earned) in six innings. She allowed just four hits and struck out five. Schmidt pitched a scoreless seventh.

Grove City will visit Waynesburg Wednesday for a conference doubleheader.

Game One Box Score                Game Two Box Score

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