WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team concluded its record-setting 2023 season Friday with a pair of setbacks at the 2023 Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, hosted by Washington & Jefferson at Ross Memorial Park.

Grove City dropped the winner's bracket final Friday afternoon to W&J in 10 innings, 4-3. The Wolverines then dropped Friday's night's elimination game with Saint Vincent, 13-6. Grove City finishes the season 30-11, setting a program record for single-season victories.

In the opener, W&J's Jacob LaDuca homered on the second pitch of the bottom of the 10th inning to break the 3-3 tie. Grove City had runners on first and second in the top of the inning with no outs but a double play and groundout ended the threat.

Grove City took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when sophomore DH Shane Cato (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) singled in senior catcher C.J. Saylor (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield). The Wolverines then added two runs in the fifth inning as senior right fielder Anthony Tambellini (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) scored on an error and sophomore shortstop Luke Vittone (Seven Fields, Pa./Eden Christian) came home on a sacrifice fly from freshman center fielder Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township).

W&J tied the game with a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the ninth, Saylor and junior first baseman Markus Williams (Sewickley, Pa./Eden Christian) each singled with one out but the Wolverines stranded both men.

Grove City finished the game with five hits.

Sophomore pitcher David Leslie (Butler, Pa./Butler) struck out six men in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits. Sophomore Evan Umland (Pasadena, Calif./La Canada) pitched the final 3 2/3 innings of relief. Umland (7-4) struck out two but took the setback.

Grove City trailed Saint Vincent in the fourth inning, 1-0, but Saylor tied the game by singling in sophomore right fielder Josh Minnich (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). Two batters later, Cato belted a go-ahead two-run home run, his fourth blast of the season.

Saint Vincent trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning, then pulled ahead for good by scoring five times in the top of the sixth inning. Grove City cut the lead in half when Williams launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning. 

However, Saint Vincent added four runs in the seventh inning and single runs in the final two innings. Saylor scored on junior second baseman Lucca Baccari's (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Williams finished 2 for 3 while Saylor and Sampson both went 2 for 4. Minnich scored twice.

Senior pitcher Noah Cyphert (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) made his first collegiate start and pitched into the sixth inning. He pitched a career-best 5 1/3 innings and allowed seven hits. Cyphert fanned one but took the setback.

Sophomore Isaiah Zuchowski (Barneveld, N.Y./Poland), senior Robby Randolph (Cranberry Township, Pa./North Catholic) and freshman Kenny Lavrich (Franklin, Pa./Cranberry) all pitched in relief. 

Saint Vincent will face W&J in Saturday's championship round at 1 p.m.

Grove City will lose Cyphert, Randolph, Saylor, Tambellini and pitcher Tate Ostrowski (Essex, Mass./Covenant Christian) to graduation.