April 10, 2014
Miscues cost Wolverines against Saint Vincent
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball team committed eight errors which led to 10 unearned runs as the Wolverines dropped a pair of Presidents' Athletic Conference games to Saint Vincent on Thursday afternoon at College Field. The Bearcats held on for a 6-5 victory in Game One before winning the nightcap, 9-1, in five innings.
In the opener, Grove City (4-15, 0-8 PAC) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when junior Erica Gmuer (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) drew a one out walk, stole second, and came home to score on an RBI-single through the right side by freshman Katie Watts (Sandy Lake, Pa./Lakeview).
Saint Vincent (18-8, 4-4 PAC) took advantage of two Wolverine errors to score two runs in the top of the third and added two more after an error in the top of the fourth to lead 4-1.
Junior shortstop Kelsey Shirey (Macedonia, Ohio/Nordonia) led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to left field and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Katy Gibson (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley). Gmuer followed with a beautiful bunt single to score Shirey, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Gmuer then stole second, coming home to score and cut the score to 4-3 when Watts doubled to right center.
After another Grove City error allowed Saint Vincent to extend its lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh, the Wolverines made one final effort in the bottom of the inning. Senior designated player Baylie Jones (Conneautville, Pa./Conneaut Valley) started the rally with a one-out bunt-single and advanced to second on a single by junior second baseman Allison Rayburn (New Kensington, Pa./Valley). A Bearcat error loaded the bases, and freshman pitcher Erika Aughton (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) hit a sacrifice fly to advance the runners, scoring Jones to cut the Saint Vincent lead to 6-4.
Shirey followed with a single through the right side of the infield, scoring Rayburn to make it a one-run game with runners on the corners. The Wolverine rally would end there, however, as Bearcat pitcher Laken Lyon would end the game with a strikeout.
Aughton took the tough-luck loss on the mound, scattering eight hits and six runs (all unearned) over seven innings while striking out five.
Grove City managed just two hits in the Game Two loss, both in the second inning. Shirey led off the inning with a triple to right center, and junior Caitlin Vidovic (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Lutheran West) sent her home with a two-out double to left field.
Freshman Aimee Wootton (Weiser, Idaho/Weiser) took the setback on the hill, allowing three hits and four runs (three earned) while walking four in just over an inning of action. Watts pitched three and two-thirds innings in relief, allowing eight hits and five runs (two earned).
Grove City travels to Washington and Jefferson on Saturday for a 1 p.m. conference doubleheader.
Go back to Wolverine Softball Home Page