Box Score                                                                                                                                    April 25, 2003

Wolverines roll past Presidents in consy series
by Greg Knowlden, sports information student assistant

WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team (11-12) visited Washington and Jefferson Friday afternoon and defeated the Presidents 16-5, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-game set for fifth place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference at Falconi Field Friday.

With the score at 1-1 through two innings, the Wolverines got four runs each in the third, fourth and fifth to take control. 

In the third, freshman center fielder Jason DeMeo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) led off with a single.  After a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, freshman outfielder Jerry Ott (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) walked to put runners on the corners.  DeMeo then scored on a delayed steal. 

A walk to sophomore first baseman Joel Diller (Harville, Ohio/Marlington) and a single by freshman shortstop Mike Ritter (Moon, Pa./Moon) loaded the bases for junior DH Greg Grupp (Harmony, Pa./Slippery Rock).  Grupp’s line drive single to center scored two men, and then Ritter came home on a wild pitch. 

Grupp doubled to right-center to score Ott and Diller in the fourth.  Sophomore third baseman Jonathan Mycyk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) followed with his first home run of the season to put Grove City ahead 9-2.  Three runs by the Presidents in the bottom half cut the lead to 9-5, but once again, the middle of the Wolverines’ order was able to do damage. 

Sophomore outfielder Michael McMillen (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) drew one of his three walks to start the fifth and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.  He scored when a shot to left field by junior second baseman Jake Cuthbert (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) was misplayed for a two-base error.  Ott singled him home, Diller reached on an error and stole second. Ritter's single to center scored both men to push the lead to 13-5.

Three unearned runs in the seventh, scored without the benefit of a hit, provided the final margin. 

Junior starter Chris Hull (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) got the win, going five innings and striking out four.  Freshman Eric Arnesen (Princeton, NJ/Timothy Christian) retired nine men while facing just eight batters, as he got a fielder’s choice and then assisted on a double play in the sixth.  Arnesen struck out two in three innings of work.  Grupp struck out two while pitching a perfect ninth. 

Ott reached base four times and scored four runs to spark the offense.  Ritter was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and two runs batted in, while Grupp was 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs.  DeMeo had a multiple-hit game and scored twice while Diller scored three runs.  The Wolverines worked President pitching for 14 walks. 

The series concludes tomorrow as Grove City hosts Washington & Jefferson for a doubleheader beginning at noon.

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