May 15, 2008
Wolverines fall to ECSU in NCAA Tournament
AUBURN, N.Y. -- The Grove City College baseball team wrapped up the 2008 season with a 10-5 setback against No. 5 seed Eastern Connecticut State (30-14-1) in an elimination game of the 2008 NCAA New York Regional Championship at Falcon Park.
Grove City, which made its first-ever postseason appearance this year by advancing to the NCAA Tournament, finishes the season with an 18-18 overall record.
ECSU broke a 5-5 tie by scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Grove City led 5-2 in the fourth inning but the Warriors scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to tie the game.
Grove City trailed 2-0 in the top of the fourth but the Wolverines took their first lead of the tournament with a five-run rally. Senior center fielder Brian Moran (Columbia, Md./Chapelgate Christian) led off with a single and eventually scored on a single by junior shortstop Ben Wilson (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis).
Two batters later, Wilson and senior catcher Ray Mertz (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) scored on a single by sophomore third baseman Mark Scriven (Gibsonia, Pa./Dutch Fork, S.C.). Freshman DH Butch Kriger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) then followed with a two-run homer to right that gave Grove City its 5-2 lead.
Moran went 3 for 4 while Scriven singled twice. Wilson also collected a pair of hits while junior left fielder Seth Thompson (Canton, Ohio/GlenOak) opened the game with a double.
Freshman pitcher Cory Metcalf (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) fired seven innings for Grove City but took the defeat. Metcalf allowed 10 runs and 13 hits. Junior Matt Tindall (Copley, Ohio/Copley) pitched a perfect eighth in relief.
Eastern Connecticut State has won regional titles in five of the last six years. It is ECSU's 29th trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
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