March 22, 2004

Grove City competes in Foothills Classic

MARYVILLE, Tenn. -- The Grove City College baseball team competed in the 2004 Maryville (Tenn.) College Foothills Classic Friday and Saturday afternoon, going 1-3 in the two-day event.

Friday, Grove City dropped a doubleheader to the host Scots. The Wolverines lost the opener in eight innings, 5-4, then dropped a 3-0 decision in the nightcap.

Saturday, the Wolverines (3-9) bounced back to split a doubleheader with Oberlin. Grove City snapped a five-game losing streak in the opener with a 2-1 win while the Yeomen claimed a 4-0 win in the second game.

In the first game against Oberlin, sophomore pitchers Ryan Carr (New Castle, Pa./Mohawk) and Eric Arnesen (Princeton, N.J./Timothy Christian) combined for a two-hitter. Carr allowed one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings. Carr also struck out eight. 

With the game tied 1-1, Arnesen recorded the final two outs in the top of the seventh. He then earned the victory when a sacrifice fly from sophomore center fielder Jerry Ott (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) scored senior second baseman Jake Cuthbert (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) in the bottom of the seventh.

In the bottom of the first, Ott scored Grove City's first run of the game after a single from junior Joel Diller (Hartville, Ohio/Marlington). Ott had doubled with two outs.

Grove City managed just three singles against Oberlin in Saturday's second game. Senior pitcher Sean O'Donnell (Brackenridge, Pa./St. Joseph) took the loss, allowing four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Senior Matt Kearney (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) fired 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief while senior left-hander John Jacobs (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) pitched one perfect inning of relief.

Against Maryville Friday, Grove City opened the first game by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Diller and junior third baseman Jonathan Mycyk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) both doubled while shortstop Mike Ritter (Moon, Pa./Moon) added a run-scoring single.

Maryville rebounded to take a 4-3 lead entering the seventh but Mycyk opened the frame with his second double of the game. Following a Ritter walk, sophomore Greg Hrebinko (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) tied the game with a run-scoring single. The Wolverines loaded the bases with nobody out but could not re-take the lead.

Grove City reliever Luke Lester (Dover, Ohio/Dover) blanked Maryville in the seventh but in the eighth, Maryville combined a pair of hits with a walk and a Lester error to pull out the 5-4 win. Starter Chris Hull (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) allowed three earned runs in six innings for Grove City while Lester pitched 1 1/3 innings.

Maryville limited the Wolverines to just four singles in Friday's nightcap. Starting pitcher Greg Grupp (Harmony, Pa./Slippery Rock) yielded six hits and three earned runs in five innings. Junior Mike Gundy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) pitched one scoreless inning in relief.

Grove City visits Hiram Tuesday.  

First Maryville Box Score                    Second Maryville Box Score

First Oberlin Box Score                      Second Oberlin Box Score

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