April 17, 2014
Grove City earns road split
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball split a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at longtime rival Westminster. Grove City earned a 3-2 win in the opener but Westminster pulled out a 1-0 victory in the nightcap.
In the opener, Grove City trailed 2-1 entering the top of the seventh but generated a pair of runs to grab the lead. Freshman Katie Watts (Sandy Lake, Pa./Lakeview) led off with a single, her second hit of the game. Senior Baylie Jones (Conneautville, Pa./Conneaut Valley) ran for Watts and advanced to second base and then third on a sacrifice bunt.
Junior right fielder Erica Gmuer (Gibsonia, Pa./Hampton) followed with a walk. Gmuer broke for second base and the throw went into center field, scoring Jones. Gmuer advanced to third on the play. Junior second baseman Allison Rayburn (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) worked another walk, giving Grove City runners on the corners. Westminster threw out Rayburn trying to steal but Gmuer scored the go-ahead run on the front end of the double steal.
In the bottom of the seventh, freshman pitcher Erika Aughton (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) yielded two singles but snuffed out Westminster's comeback effort. Aughton allowed just one earned run in seven innings to pick up the win.
Westminster led 2-0 entering the fourth inning but Grove City quickly halved the lead. Junior shortstop Kelsey Shirey (Macedonia, Ohio/Nordonia) singled and then scored on a double by junior catcher Sarah Morris (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton). Morris paced Grove City's seven-hit attack by going 3 for 3.
Watts and Aughton combined to limit Westminster to just one run in the nightcap but Grove City had just four singles offensively. Watts allowed one run in three innings and took the defeat. Aughton threw four scoreless innings of relief.
Grove City (6-19, 2-12 PAC) will host Franciscan Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference doubleheader.
Go back to Wolverine Softball Home Page