Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Grove City College baseball team opened its eight-game trip to central Florida by winning two of the first three games on the week-long trip at the RussMatt Invitational. Grove City opened the trip February 24 with a 9-1 win over Carthage and a 24-2 victory over Houghton. Wartburg topped Grove City the next day, 12-4.

Junior pitcher Evan Umland (Pasadena, Calif./La Canada) earned the win in the opener against Carthage by striking out a dozen men in seven innings. He allowed only five hits and one run while recording his first victory of the season. 

Eight of nine Grove City's offensive starters recorded at least one hit as the Wolverines finished with 13 hits. Senior first baseman Markus Williams (Sewickley, Pa./Eden Christian) helped pace the offensive attack by going 3 for 4 with a double and two runs batted in. Junior DH Shane Cato (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) also went 3 for 4 with a double while junior shortstop Luke Vittone (Seven Fields, Pa./Eden Christian) singled twice, knocked in a pair of runs and stole two bases. 

Sophomore center fielder Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) tripled while freshman left fielder Caison Holland (Freedom, Pa./Ambridge) doubled.

Twelve men batted for Grove City in the Wolverines' seven-run seventh inning. 

Junior Isaiah Zuchowski (Barneveld, N.Y./Poland) struck out two men while pitching the eighth inning in relief. Freshman Wil Peters (Mesa, Ariz./Westwood) pitched a scoreless ninth. 

Grove City batters received 22 walks from Houghton pitching in Saturday's nightcap. Junior DH Josh Minnich (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) doubled twice and drove in two runs while junior catcher Aaron Gault (Youngstown, Ohio/Heartland Christian) doubled, singled and drove in four runs. Williams went 2 for 4 with three runs batted in and Sampson went 2 for 3 and scored four runs. Sophomore second baseman Raymond Stierer (Sewickley, Pa./Eden Christian) added a double and drove in three runs. 

Freshman right fielder David Chandler (Leesburg, Va./St. John's) scored four times while freshman infielder Sam Bevin (Louisville, Ky./Wake County) crossed the plate three times.

Freshman pitcher Jack Houston (Vienna, Va./Vienna) did not yield a hit in five scoreless innings. He struck out two and walked three while earning his second win of the season. Freshman Clay Dean (Smock, Pa./Uniontown) pitched a scoreless sixth inning while classmate Ross Morrow (McKean, Pa./General McLane) closed out the win by pitching the seventh. The game ended after seven innings due to the mercy rule.

Wartburg broke a 3-3 tie by scoring twice in the top of the fifth. The Knights then added seven runs over the next three innings to break open the game.

Minnich doubled for the Wolverines while Sampson drove in two runs. 

Starting pitcher Bevin threw five innings and yielded five runs. He allowed three hits while striking out two. Zuchowski pitched the sixth inning while freshman James Hensell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) recorded four outs in relief. Senior Christian Hoffmann (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) did not allow a run in 2/3 of an inning. Freshman Bryce Trischler (Mars, Pa./Shady Side Academy) tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

Grove City faces Dubuque at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Auburndale, Fla.