April 10, 2012

Wolverines drop two on road

WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball team dropped both ends of a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader to homestanding Washington & Jefferson Tuesday afternoon at Brooks Park. Grove City dropped the opener 4-3 and then fell 7-5 in Game Two.

Grove City (13-15, 2-6 PAC) took a 3-0 lead in the opener when freshman third baseman Allison Rayburn (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) cracked a three-run homer in the second inning. Rayburn's homer scored senior center fielder Elizabeth Covatto (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) and junior first baseman Faith Jentsch (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park).

W&J cut the lead to 3-1 in the home half of the second inning and then took the lead with a three-run rally in the fifth.

Senior second baseman Sarah Young (Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut) and freshman shortstop Kelsey Shirey (Macedonia, Ohio/Nordonia) both doubled for the Wolverines, who had just four hits in the opener.

Junior pitcher Lauren Clarke (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) threw a complete game for Grove City but took the setback. She allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.

In Game Two, Grove City (the designated home team) fell behind 2-0 early but tied the game in the bottom of the first. Shirey doubled in Young, halving the lead. Shirey then scored the game-tying run on a single from senior left fielder Grace Murtoff (Carlisle, Pa./Boiling Springs).

The Wolverines then took a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the third. Rayburn scored on Young's single to right field. Shirey then followed with her program-record fifth home run of the season.

W&J rallied with five runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead for good, however.

Murtoff went 2 for 3 and freshman catcher Sarah Morris (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) roped a double for Grove City. Rayburn and Shirey both scored twice.

Jentsch pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs. She took the setback. Freshman Caitlyn Vidovic (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Lutheran West) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Shirey had been tied with Brittany Young on Grove City's single-season home run list with four. Shirey is now hitting .607 (34 for 56) over Grove City's last 18 games. She leads the conference with 42 hits this year.

Grove City will visit Allegheny Thursday for a non-conference doubleheader at 3:30 p.m.

Game One Box Score            Game Two Box Score

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