FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Grove City College softball team continued its Spring Break trip to Florida by facing Rockford and Haverford in non-conference action Wednesday at the Gene Cusic Classic. Rockford rallied for a 9-6 win in Wednesday's opener. Haverford then held off Grove City's comeback effort in the day's second game, pulling out a 6-4 win.

Senior pitcher Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) paced Grove City's 13-hit attack against Rockford by going 4 for 5 with a double. Junior left fielder Lauren McNeil (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) belted a game-tying three-run home run in the third inning, highlighting a five-run outburst. 

Dawson followed McNeil's clout by doubling in senior third baseman Michaela Ban (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong), who singled earlier in the inning. Sophomore center fielder Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) pushed the lead to 5-3 with a sacrifice fly that scored sophomore right fielder Annika Rinehart (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry). Rinehart finished 2 for 4.

Rockford reclaimed the lead with six runs in the bottom of the third inning, though. Dawson singled in senior shortstop Lexi Buck (Akron, Ohio/Lake Center Christian) in the fifth, trimming the lead to 9-6. 

Dawson started in the pitcher's circle and took the setback. She struck out three in three innings. Sophomore Brooke Brodie (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) threw three scoreless innings of relief. She allowed two hits, no walks and struck out one.

Dawson doubled and singled against Haverford, as did junior DP Lauren Harris (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny). Linhart also cracked a double and scored twice. 

Harris opened Grove City's scoring in the fourth inning when she singled in freshman pinch runner Noel Anthony (Clarion, Pa./Clarion). One inning later, Harris doubled in Linhart, cutting Haverford's lead to 4-2. 

Senior pinch runner Clare Moran (Watertown, N.Y./Indian River) scored Grove City's third run of the afternoon when she came home on Harris's seventh-inning groundout. McNeil cut the lead to 6-4 in the seventh by singling in Linhart. 

Junior pitcher Kaitlyn Constantino (Clarion, Pa./Clarion) started for Grove City. She pitched 5 1/3 innings, yielding five earned runs. Freshman Miranda Metro (Sharon, Pa./Sharon) recorded the final two outs of the sixth inning in relief. 

Grove City will face Potsdam State at 9 a.m. Thursday in the fourth day of the five-day trip. The Wolverines then play Swarthmore at 11 a.m. in Fort Myers, Fla.