PITTSBURGH -- The Grove City College softball team split a road Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday night at Chatham. Grove City dropped the opener, 1-0, but rebounded for a 2-0 Game Two victory in eight innings at West Field.

Junior second baseman Cara Polese (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest) gave Grove City a 2-0 lead in the top of the eighth when her two-out single drove in sophomore third baseman Maddie Clark (West Sunbury, Pa./Moniteau) and freshman catcher Lauren Harris (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny).

Chatham loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth on two errors and a walk. However, sophomore relief pitcher Janessa Dawson secured the win. Dawson recorded a pair of forceouts at home, then induced a groundout to Polese to end the game. It is Dawson's first career save.

Dawson preserved the win for senior pitcher Ashley Cornelius (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman). Cornelius threw seven shutout innings and struck out nine. She allowed five hits. 

Polese went 2 for 3 in the nightcap. Grove City (12-18, 7-9 PAC) had four hits in the second game.

Cornelius threw a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts in Game One, but Chatham pushed across the game's lone run in the bottom of the sixth. 

Dawson led off the seventh with a double but did not advance. She also tripled and singled in three Game One at-bats. Senior right fielder Hannah Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) and freshman left fielder Lauren McNeil (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) both doubled.

Grove City will close the regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. with a home doubleheader against conference foe Bethany. The Wolverines are battling with Chatham (6-8 PAC), Saint Vincent (6-8 PAC) and Franciscan (3-7 PAC) for the final two spots in next week's conference tournament.