Wolverines headed for PAC title game
BETHANY, WV, April 27, 2001--For the third time in four years, the Grove City College baseball team has advanced to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Game.
The Wolverines scored early and often in a 15-5 rout over top-seeded and defending champion Bethany College on Thursday to earn a spot in Saturday's championship at 12:00 p.m. in Bethany, WV. Grove City, 2-0 in the double-elimination tournament, will meet Bethany again, needing to win one game to claim its first ever PAC title. Bethany, winner of the last two league crowns, recovered with a 9-2 win over Waynesburg College late Friday.
Grove City led 7-0 after two innings and never looked back against the Bison, piling up 18 hits, including two home runs, which set a new team record for homers in a season (24).
Senior Adam Myers (Conneaut Lake, PA/Conneaut Lake) opened the scoring with a booming solo homer in the top of the first. Then, senior Nate Kauffman (Canonsburg, PA/Canon-McMillan) higlighted a six-run second with a towering two-run shot, boosting his season tater total to a school-record 10. Kauffman's blast came after four consecutive doubles, delivered by senior Adam Booth (Hartville, OH/Lake), senior Mike Kashurba (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe), Myers, and senior J.G. Louden (Morgantown, WV/University). All six runs in the frame came after two outs. The Wolverines added a pair of runs in the third, fourth, sixth and ninth innings.
Kashurba, Kauffman, Booth and freshman Jake Cuthbert (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) each collected three hits. Booth belted three doubles and Kashurba doubled twice. Myers and Louden each had two hits, including a double.
All nine Wolverines who came to the plate scored a run and six of the nine touched home twice.
Junior righty Justin Magee (Grove City, PA/Grove City) notched the victory, allowing five runs (three earned) on 11 hits through six. Magee struck out two and walked three. Freshman southpaw Chris Hull (Chagrin Falls, OH/Chagrin Falls) came on with two on and none out in the seventh and slammed the door, surrendering just two hits over the final three frames. Hull fanned two and walked three.
Grove City (16-8) will bring a seven-game winning
streak into Saturday's championship.
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