LATROBE, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball team concluded the 2022 season Wednesday afternoon by going 1-1 during the opening rounds of the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, hosted by Saint Vincent College. Grove City, the No. 5 seed, blanked sixth-seeded Geneva in the opener, 5-0. However, Saint Vincent topped Grove City in the nightcap, 10-2, to earn the fourth and final spot in the double-elimination portion of the conference tournament.

Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Constantino (Clarion, Pa./Clarion) fired a two-hit shutout for the Wolverines (17-17) against Geneva. She struck out three and walked one over her seven innings, improving to 7-6. 

Grove City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman pitcher Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) reached on a one-out infield single and then scored on a double by sophomore catcher Emily Smyth (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) to open the scoring. Sophomore third baseman Maralee Caldana (Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) doubled the lead when she singled in freshman pinch runner Ella Krarup (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington).

Smyth cracked a two-run double in the second inning that drove in Constantino and junior first baseman Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley), giving Grove City a 4-0 lead. 

An error in the sixth inning scored senior shortstop Lexi Buck (Akron, Ohio/Lake Center Christian), who led off the inning with a double.

Grove City grabbed a quick 2-0 lead against Saint Vincent as senior right fielder Hannah Dietz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) launched a two-run home run that also scored Linhart. Saint Vincent countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning then added two runs in the second inning. Saint Vincent closed out the win with a four-run fourth inning and a single run in the fifth.

Linhart went 2 for 3 for the Wolverines, who finished with five hits. 

Dawson started in the circle and allowed six earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. She struck out two. Senior Kaitlyn Dittrich (Houston, Pa./Chartiers-Houston) struck out two batters in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Dietz finished the season with a Grove City-record eight home runs. She concluded her career as Grove City's all-time leader with 21 home runs and 98 runs batted in. Buck, Dietz, first baseman Haley DIetz (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton), Dittrich, infielder Cara Polese (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest) and center fielder Morgan Prouty (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) comprise Grove City's six-player senior class.