DANVILLE, Va. -- The Grove City College baseball team opened the 2025 season Tuesday by splitting a non-conference doubleheader with host Averett. Grove City won the opener, 14-1, while the Cougars rebounded for a 5-2 win in the nightcap. 

Senior pitcher David Leslie (Butler, Pa./Butler) earned the win in Game One by striking out eight in five shutout innings. Leslie walked one and allowed only three hits in his outing.

Five Grove City players produced a pair of hits in the opener. Junior first baseman Colin Marinpetro (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) doubled, singled and drove in three runs in his Grove City debut while senior right fielder Josh Minnich (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) also went 2 for 4 and drove in three runs. 

Sophomore third baseman Sam Bevin (Louisville, Ky./Wake County) and sophomore left fielder Dan Luko (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) also went 2 for 4. Junior second baseman Raymond Stierer (Sewickley, Pa./Eden Christian) went 2 for 3 after entering early as a pinch runner. 

Grove City jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Minnich and Marinpetro both cracked run-scoring singles. Senior second baseman Luke Vittone (Seven Fields, Pa./Eden Christian) drove in Minnich with a bases loaded hit batsman while Marinpetro later scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Sam Meredith (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan).

Meredith boosted the lead to 6-0 in the third inning by singling home Stierer and Luko. Grove City then broke open the game with an eight-run fifth inning.

Marinpetro laced a two-run double during the inning while Minnich roped a two-run single. Luko singled in Marinpetro to close the inning. The inning also featured a bases-loaded walk to senior DH Shane Cato (New Castle, Pa./Shenango), and bases-loaded hit batsmen to Bevin and sophomore catcher Adam Weber (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour).

Sophomore Jack Houston (Vienna, Va./Vienna) allowed one run in relief. He recorded the first two outs in the sixth inning. Bevin closed out the game with 1 1/3 innings of relief. He fanned two.

Marinpetro doubled and singled in Game Two while junior center fielder Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) also went 2 for 4. Bevin added a double. Sampson singled in Bevin in the top of the third inning and later scored on a Luko single. 

Freshman pitcher Dash Lanzilotta (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia) allowed two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three, allowed four hits and took the setback. Senior pitcher Evan Umland (Pasadena, Calif./La Canada) pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out three men. 

Grove City is scheduled to open its home schedule next Tuesday at 3 p.m. against La Roche.