April 8, 2013

Wolverines split wild doubleheader

GREENVILLE, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball split a doubleheader at Presidents' Athletic Conference rival Thiel Monday as both games went into extra innings. Grove City pulled out a 7-5, nine-inning win in Game One. Thiel bounced back to take the nightcap in 11 innings, 9-8.

In the opener, Grove City scored three times in the top of the ninth to break a 4-4 tie. Sophomore shortstop Kelsey Shirey (Macedonia, Ohio/Nordonia) put the Wolverines ahead with a sacrifice fly that drove in sophomore second baseman Allison Rayburn (New Kensington, Pa./Valley).

Sophomore catcher Sarah Morris (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) then doubled in sophomore center fielder Erica Gmuer (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton), who had singled. Morris scored the third run of the inning on a single from freshman third baseman Casey Woodcock (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida).

Shirey tripled, doubled and singled in the win while Woodcock also collected three hits. Gmuer went 2 for 5 while senior pitcher Lauren Clarke (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) and freshman left fielder Megan Lynskey (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) also had two hits each. Grove City pounded out 14 hits in the game.

Clarke earned the win after throwing nine innings in the circle. She allowed four earned runs and struck out four.

Thiel, the designated visiting team in the second game, led 7-5 entering the bottom of the sixth but Grove City sent the game into extra innings by scoring in both the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, Shirey tripled and scored on a Clarke single. Rayburn scored the tying run in the seventh inning on Morris' infield single.

Thiel (7-13, 1-5 PAC) scored twice in the top of the 11th to take a 9-7 lead. Grove City cut the lead to 9-8 in the bottom of the 11th when sophomore Caitlyn Vidovic (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Lutheran West) scored on an error. However, the Wolverines could not complete the comeback.

Shirey led Grove City's 15-hit attack by going 3 for 4 with two triples. Morris doubled and singled while Clarke, Lynskey, Vidovic and Woodcock all had two singles each. Rayburn scored twice.

Senior pitcher Faith Jentsch (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) threw a career-high 11 innings for the Wolverines (4-12, 1-5 PAC) but took the defeat. She yielded eight earned runs while striking out four.

The 11-inning game is the longest for Grove City since an 11-inning game at Waynesburg April 27, 2007.

Grove City will host conference foe Washington & Jefferson Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Game One Box Score            Game Two Box Score

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