GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College softball team opened its home schedule Thursday by splitting a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader with Bethany at College Field. Bethany took the opener, 4-1, but Grove City earned an 8-0, five-inning victory in Game Two.
Junior pitcher
Kaitlyn Constantino (Clarion, Pa./Clarion) yielded only one hit in the nightcap as she recorded her second career shutout. The right-hander needed only 42 pitches to complete the five-inning win.
Grove City (8-8, 2-2 PAC) bolted to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning in Game Two. Senior first baseman
Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) opened the scoring by singling in sophomore third baseman
Rachel Zona (New Castle, Pa./New Castle), who opened the inning with a walk.
Grove City then loaded the bases on a single by sophomore second baseman
Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) and a two-out walk to junior DP
Lauren Harris (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny). Junior left fielder
Lauren McNeil (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) unloaded the bases with a three-run double that scored Linhart, Harris and sophomore pinch runner
Kamryn Weissinger (Youngsville, Pa./Youngsville).Â
The Wolverines clinched the win with another four-run outburst in the fifth inning, invoking the eight-run mercy rule. Harris singled in Linhart, pushing the lead to 5-0. Senior pinch runner
Clare Moran (Watertown, N.Y./Indian River) scored on McNeil's dropped sacrifice fly. Harris scored on an error and McNeil later raced home on a wild pitch, closing the scoring.Â
Junior catcher
Emily Smyth (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) doubled for the Wolverines while Harris finished 2 for 2. Linhart went 2 for 3 in Game Two.Â
Bethany scored four times in the top of the first inning of Game One. Grove City broke through in the sixth inning when senior shortstop
Lexi Buck (Akron, Ohio/Lake Center Christian) scored on an error.Â
Buck, Harris and Linhart all had singles in the opener. Dawson pitched a complete game for Grove City, striking out four in seven innings.Â
Grove City will visit conference foe Franciscan for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. in Steubenville.Â