NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Grove City College softball team closed its 10-game Spring Break trip by earning a pair of one-run victories Friday. The Wolverines earned a come-from-behind 7-6 win over Purchase and then edged Lynchburg, 10-9, in the finale. Grove City finished the trip with a 4-6 record.

Against Purchase, senior first baseman Haley Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) gave Grove City the victory when her double in the bottom of the seventh inning drove home junior pitcher Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) and freshman shortstop Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana). 

Grove City trailed 5-1 in the second inning before coming back to tie the game. Sophomore catcher Erin Mulholland (Malvern, Pa./Delaware County Christian) singled in freshman pitcher Rachel Zona (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) and then scored on a double by junior center fielder Clare Moran (Watertown, N.Y./Indian River). 

Grove City tied the game in the third inning as senior third baseman Lexi Buck (Akron, Ohio/Lake Center Christian) singled in Dietz and Zona doubled home Buck.

Dietz also tripled for Grove City. Moran and Mulholland both went 2 for 3. Linhart scored twice. 

Dawson earned the win in relief after striking out five batters in two scoreless innings. Zona pitched 4 2/3 innings and fellow freshman Brooke Brodie (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) struck out the only batter she faced in relief.

Sophomore catcher Emily Smyth (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) went 4 for 4 with two doubles and three runs batted in against Lynchburg while Dietz launched a solo homer. Linhart and sophomore third baseman Maralee Caldana (Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) both tripled. Sophomore left fielder Lauren McNeil (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) added a pair of singles to Grove City's 14-hit attack.

Smyth doubled in Caldana and Linhart to give Grove City a 5-1 lead in the third inning. Lynchburg rallied to lead 7-5 but Grove City answered in the fifth. Linhart's go-ahead, bases-clearing triple scored Dawson, senior center fielder Morgan Prouty (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) and senior second baseman Cara Polese (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest). Linhart then scored on a Dietz single. In the sixth, Smyth singled home Caldana. 

Dawson earned the win by pitching 3 2/3 innings of relief. She allowed two runs. Senior Kaitlyn Dittrich (Houston, Pa./Chartiers-Houston) started and pitched 3 1/3 innings in the circle.

Grove City opened the trip February 28 by splitting games with Mary Washington and Waynesburg. The Wolverines downed Waynesburg, 4-3, after dropping the opener 5-0. 

Dawson scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a Waynesburg error. She and Caldana had Grove City's two hits in the win. Dittrich earned the pitching win by tossing two innings of relief. Sophomore Kaitlyn Constantino (Clarion, Pa./Clarion) pitched five innings and struck out six. She yielded two runs and took a no-decision.

Dawson took the setback in the opener against Mary Washington. She pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs. Brodie pitched two perfect innings of relief.

Sophomore catcher Lauren Harris (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) went 2 for 3 in Tuesday's 7-1 setback against Waynesburg. Senior right fielder Hannah Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) added a double. Brodie took the pitching setback after allowing six runs in five innings. Dittrich allowed an unearned run in her two innings of relief.

Widener slipped past Grove City in Tuesday's second game, 4-1. Dawson singled in Prouty to give Grove City an early 1-0 lead. Polese doubled for the Wolverines, who finished with six hits. Zona allowed two earned runs and four hits in five innings but took the defeat. Dittrich pitched the sixth inning, allowing one run.

Grove City concluded the day with an 8-0 setback against NAIA member Shawnee State (13-2). Haley Dietz went 2 for 3. Constantino pitched four innings and recorded the setback.

Following an off day, the Wolverines rebounded Thursday with a 7-1 win over Purchase. Two errors helped Grove City jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Haley Dietz extended the lead to 5-0 by singling home Linhart and Dawson. Hannah Dietz then drove home Haley Dietz with a single. 

Dawson pitched three shutout innings and earned the win. She struck out five. Freshman Olivia Raichle (Utica, Mich./Utica) earned the save with four innings of relief. She fanned four and allowed one run. 

Grove City dropped a 12-0 decision to Widener in Thursday's nightcap. The Wolverines then started Friday with a 9-5 setback against Lynchburg in the first of two meetings. 

Hannah Dietz launched a three-run home run in the fifth inning as part of her 2-for-4 effort. Dawson tripled, doubled, singled and scored two runs. Caldana doubled and singled and Constantino roped a double. 

Constantino struck out 11 batters over seven innings in the circle. She yielded four earned runs and absorbed the setback.

Dawson hit .450 (9 for 20) for the week and also slugged .600. Linhart scored a team-leading eight runs while Haley Dietz drove in seven runs. Dawson went 3-1 with a 2.73 earned run average in five appearances.

Grove City opens its home schedule Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Allegheny.