FLORENCE, Ky. -- The Grove City College baseball team opened the 2018 season Thursday afternoon by dropping both ends of a non-conference doubleheader with Mount St. Joseph at U.C. Health Stadium. Grove City dropped the opener, 8-0, then fell in the nightcap, 7-6, in eight innings.

In Game Two, Grove City trailed 6-4 entering the top of the seventh but two MSJ errors helped ignite a comeback. Senior center fielder Tyler Graham (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior third baseman Micah Burke (Gilbert, Ariz./E.V.A.C.). The Wolverines then tied the game when junior left fielder Travis Auth (Medina, Ohio/Medina) scored on a wild pitch. Auth's single accounted for Grove City's lone hit in the inning.

Mount St. Joseph had runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh with one out. However, freshman reliever D.J. Newby (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) struck out the next two batters to end the threat. The Lions strung together three singles in the bottom of the eighth to earn the win, however. 

Grove City jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Freshman DH Bubba Hamilton (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) roped a two-run single that drove in junior right fielder Shane Hammel (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge) and sophomore first baseman Matt Dayton (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton). Hamilton then scored on a double by sophomore shortstop Bob Abbott (Westfield, N.J./Westfield). Abbott scored the fourth run of the inning when Graham laced a double.

Hammel finished the game 2 for 3. The Wolverines finished with eight hits. 

Junior pitcher John Bini (Staten Island, N.Y./Xaverian) started and allowed six earned runs in five innings. He struck out five and walked two. Newby pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief. He fanned three but absorbed the defeat.

Mount St. Joseph held Grove City to four hits in the opener. The Lions scored twice in the first inning, then broke open the game with a four-run second inning. Sophomore starter Austin Wacker (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) took the setback for the Wolverines after allowing six runs in 1 2/3 innings. Freshman Jacob Brothers (Aurora, Ill./Aurora Christian) pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Sophomore reliever Corey Thomas (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) yielded two earned runs in two innings.

Grove City will now head down Interstate 75 to central Florida for spring break. The Wolverines will face Augustana (Ill.) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Winter Haven, Fla. Grove City will then play Capital at 4 p.m.