GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball team capped the 2021 regular season Saturday afternoon by sweeping a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader from visiting Bethany at College Field. Grove City rallied for a 3-2, 16-inning win in Game One. The Wolverines then pulled out a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.

According to available records, the 16-inning game is the longest in both Grove City history and Presidents' Athletic Conference annals.

Bethany (19-15, 11-5 PAC) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 16th when Josie Wise scored on a passed ball. However, Grove City earned the win by scoring twice in the bottom of the inning. 

Junior shortstop Lexi Buck (Akron, Ohio/Lake Center Christian) led off with a single and then moved to second on a groundout. With two outs, freshman catcher Erin Mulholland (Malvern, Pa./Delaware County Christian) drove in Buck with a game-tying single.

Mulholland advanced to second on a base hit by sophomore DP Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) and then scored the winning run when junior second baseman Cara Polese (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest) laced a single to center field.

Senior pitcher Ashley Cornelius (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) threw a school-record 16 innings and struck out 15 batters, earning the win. She walked three and allowed one earned run as she raised her season record to 10-8.

The Wolverines trailed 1-0 in the sixth but senior first baseman Haley Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) singled in sophomore pinch runner Clare Moran (Watertown, N.Y./Indian River) with the tying run.

Grove City recorded 18 hits in the Game One win. Dawson doubled while going 4 for 8. Polese doubled and added two singles in eight at-bats. Haley Dietz went 4 for 7 while Buck finished 3 for 6. Mulholland senior right fielder Hannah Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) both singled twice.

Grove City grabbed control of Game Two by scoring six times in the bottom of the second. Dawson broke a 1-1 tie by driving in Mulholland and sophomore third baseman Maddie Clark (West Sunbury, Pa./Moniteau) with a two-run single. Polese then pushed the lead to 4-1 when her single scored senior DP Ashley Mietlicki (Oak Hill, Va./South Lakes). 

Haley Dietz singled in Dawson while Hannah Dietz followed with another two-run single as Haley Dietz and Polese both came home.

Bethany trimmed the lead to 7-5 in the top of the seventh inning and loaded the bases with no outs. Freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Constantino (Clarion, Pa./Clarion) came on in relief and allowed only a run-scoring groundout, securing the win. She earned her first collegiate save. Dawson (3-8) pitched six innings to earn the victory.

Haley Dietz finished 3 for 4. Dawson scored twice. Grove City finished with eight hits. 

Grove City (14-18, 9-9 PAC) has qualified for the season-ending six-team conference tournament. The Wolverines will play in the opening round Tuesday. The conference office will announce the official tournament draw Sunday evening at the conclusion of the conference schedule.

Grove City's nine league wins are the most for the Wolverines since 1998.