STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- The Grove City College softball split a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Franciscan. Grove City (10-12, 4-4 PAC) earned an 8-2 win in the opener while Franciscan pulled out a 5-4 win in Game Two.

Sophomore catcher Emily Smyth (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) helped pace Grove City in the opener by going 2 for 3 with a two-run home run and four total runs batted in. Senior right fielder Hannah Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) belted her fourth homer of the season and also knocked in a pair of runs.

Freshman second baseman Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) tripled and doubled while senior shortstop Lexi Buck (Akron, Ohio/Lake Center Christian) and sophomore DP Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) both scored twice.

Dawson opened the scoring when she came home on Dietz's groundout in the first inning. Dietz pushed the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run in the third. The lead grew to 3-0 in the fourth inning when sophomore third baseman Maralee Caldana (Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) scored on an error. 

Later in the fourth, Smyth singled in Buck and sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Constantino (Clarion, Pa./Clarion) to give Grove City a 5-0 lead. Dawson scored the fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly from senior first baseman Haley Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton). 

Smyth closed the scoring with her two-run clout in the seventh.

Constantino earned the victory after allowing two runs in seven innings. She struck out four and walked only one.

In Game Two, Grove City trailed 3-1 after five innings before surging ahead. Buck's two-run single scored Caldana and Haley Dietz with the tying runs. Freshman pinch hitter Brooke Brodie (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) singled in Buck, capping the three-run rally.

An error and wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh allowed Franciscan to score the tying and winning runs, however.

Caldana opened the scoring by launching a solo homer in the fourth inning. She finished 2 for 4, as did Haley Dietz. Buck went 2 for 3 while Dawson doubled.

Dawson threw a complete game for Grove City, allowing three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. She struck out three and walked two.

Grove City will visit Waynesburg in a conference doubleheader Monday afternoon.