AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Grove City College baseball team went 5-5 on its 10-game trip to central Florida last week over Spring Break in Auburndale, Fla., and Winter Haven, Fla.

Grove City highlighted the trip with a sweep last Thursday afternoon of Lyndon State (Va.). The Wolverines also earned wins over Rose-Hulman, Cabrini and Martin Luther during the trip. The Wolverines fell to Augustana (Ill.), Capital, Cabrini and Medaille (twice) during the trip.

Grove City opened the trip February 24 by dropping a 14-2 decision to Augustana. Augustana broke open a 4-2 game with 10 runs in the top of the seventh. Junior pitcher Micah Burke (Gilbert, Ariz./E.V.A.C.) allowed no earned runs in six innings for the Wolverines. He also doubled and drove in a run offensively. Junior second baseman Bobby Dulay (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) singled in Burke in the fourth, cutting the Augustana lead to 4-2. 

Later that day, the Wolverines dropped a 9-3 decision to Capital. Sophomore shortstop Bob Abbott (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) roped a two-run single while senior third baseman Cameron Smail (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) added a run-scoring single. Junior right fielder Shane Hammel (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge) doubled and scored. 

Junior pitcher Phil Bell (Poland, Ohio/Heartland Christian) allowed five earned runs in six innings for the Wolverines. Freshman reliever Joel Engstrom (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) pitched the final two winnings. 

Grove City earned its first win of the season February 26 with a 4-1 victory over in-state rival Cabrini. Junior John Bini (Staten Island, N.Y./Xaverian) fired a two-hitter and did not allow an earned run in seven innings. He struck out four and walked two in securing the win.

Offensively, sophomore first baseman Matt Dayton (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) sparked the Wolverines' three-run first inning by doubling in two runs. Junior DH Travis Auth (Medina, Ohio/Medina) went 2 for 4 and also knocked in two runs while freshman left fielder Jesse Clary (Cranberry Township, Pa./Eden Christian) added two hits. 

In the nightcap, Grove City trailed 4-1 entering the bottom of the seventh but rallied to force extra innings. Senior center fielder Tyler Graham (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) doubled in two runs, then later scored the game-tying run on a Burke single. Abbott, Burke and Graham all went 2 for 4. 

Cabrini posted six runs in the top of the eighth, however, to earn the split with a 10-4 win. Sophomore starting pitcher Austin Wacker (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) pitched six innings and allowed two runs. Freshman Jacob Brothers (Aurora, Ill./Aurora Christian) pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief, taking the setback. Freshman reliever Nick Chiodo (Solon, Ohio/Solon) recorded the final out of the eighth. 

Grove City earned its second win of the trip February 27 by pulling out a 4-3 victory over Rose-Hulman. Burke broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth by singling in Orner. Graham then scored on Abbott's sacrifice fly. Dayton and freshman catcher Tanner Orner (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) both had two hits in the win.

Freshman pitcher D.J. Newby (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) earned the win by yielding only two runs in seven innings. He struck out seven while permitting four hits. Engstrom pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief and sophomore Corey Thomas (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) recorded the final two outs to earn his first collegiate save. 

The Wolverines improved to 4-5 last Thursday by sweeping Lyndon State. Burke earned the complete game victory, yielding two runs and nine hits over seven innings. Offensively, Graham doubled and singled while Dulay went 2 for 2. Clary doubled and knocked in a pair of runs.

In Game Two, Grove City trailed 5-0 after two innings before charging back. Auth and Burke both drove in runs during Grove City's three-run third. In the fourth, junior catcher Derek Boyle (Stafford, Va./Brooke Point) tripled in Dayton, then scored the tying run on Graham's sacrifice fly. 

With the game tied 6-6 in the top of the seventh, Abbott singled in Burke with the eventual winning run. Graham doubled and singled while Clary finished 2 for 4. Boyle and Dayton scored twice. 

Thomas earned the relief win, the first of his collegiate career. He struck out three men in 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Bell started and pitched the first two innings. Chiodo allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings of relief. 

Grove City extended its win streak to four Friday with a 9-2 win over Martin Luther (Minn.). Hammel doubled, singled and scored three times to help lead Grove City's 11-hit attack. Burke, Dayton and Graham all had two hits each while Dulay and Wacker both doubled. Clary drove in two runs.

Brothers earned his first collegiate win by pitching seven innings. He struck out nine and allowed only five hits. Engstrom followed with two scoreless innings of relief. 

Grove City closed the trip by dropping a doubleheader Saturday with Medaille. Bini struck out seven and allowed no earned runs in the opener, a 2-1 setback. Clary went 2 for 2 while Boyle scored. In Game Two, Burke went 2 for 3 but the Wolverines dropped an 8-2 decision. 

Newby started and allowed two runs in two innings. Wacker pitched 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen while Thomas threw 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief. 

Grove City will open its northern schedule March 13 at Penn State Beaver. The home opener is scheduled for March 14 against Wheeling Jesuit.