MELBOURNE, Fla. -- The Grove City College softball concluded its season-opening 10-game trip to the Space Coast Games by splitting two games Friday. The Wolverines opened the day with a 10-7 victory over Houghton. The Wolverines then put the tying runs on base in the bottom of the seventh against Rose-Hulman, but Grove City dropped a 2-0 decision in the nightcap.
Grove City broke a 7-7 with Houghton by scoring three times in the bottom of the sixth inning. Freshman pitcher
Abigail Meadors (Warren, Ohio/Champion) broke the tie by singling in freshman outfielder
Evelyn Montone (Allentown, Pa./Parkland). Sophomore shortstop
Rylie Eaton (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) followed with a run-scoring single that brought in junior third baseman
Rachel Zona (New Castle, Pa./New Castle). An error on the play allowed Meadors to score.
Montone tripled, cracked a pair of singles and scored three runs to help pace Grove City's 13-hit attack. Meadors went 3 for 4 with a double while sophomore catcher
Jonalyn Wharry (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) tripled. Senior
Erin Mulholland (Malvern, Pa./Delaware County Christian) laced a pinch-hit double while Zona drove in three runs. Zona also scored twice.
Meadors earned the relief win by pitching the final two innings. She struck out two and allowed one run. Freshman
Alexis Jackson (Coventry Township, Ohio/Coventry) started and allowed four earned runs in five innings. She fanned three.
Junior pitcher
Brooke Brodie (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) allowed only two runs in 6 1/3 innings against Rose-Hulman. Meadors recorded the final two outs in relief.
Meadors and junior second baseman
Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) both singled in the bottom of the seventh but Grove City could not break through.
Junior right fielder
Annika Rinehart (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) hit a team-leading .450 (9 for 20) during the week, along with four doubles. Meadors went 8 for 19 (.421) and knocked in nine runs. Meadors went 3-2 with two shutouts in the pitcher's circle. She struck out 26 in 27 1/3 innings. Brodie also picked up a win and posted a team-low 2.51 earned run average.
Grove City will open the northern portion of its schedule March 11 at Penn State Fayette.
