Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Grove City College baseball team split its first two games Friday and Saturday at the RussMatt Invitational in Auburndale, Fla. Friday, Grove City dropped a 6-5 decision to Concordia (Ill.). However, Grove City (2-2) bounced back Saturday for a 7-4 win over Dubuque.

Senior pitcher David Leslie (Butler, Pa./Butler) earned the win Saturday by striking out nine men in eight innings. He allowed one run and one hit while walking three batters. Leslie faced the minimum through the first five innings. 

Sophomore catcher Adam Weber (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) gave Grove City a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning when his two-run double brought home senior second baseman Luke Vittone (Seven Fields, Pa./Eden Christian) and freshman shortstop Sam Meredith (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan).

Grove City added a run in the sixth inning when junior center fielder Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single from freshman DH Kallen Durbin (Harmony, Pa./Seneca Valley).

The Wolverines extended the lead to 7-1 in the eighth inning. Durbin singled in Sampson while a bases-loaded walk to freshman left fielder Braeden Coyle (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) pushed home senior right fielder Josh Minnich (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). Meredith's two-run single scored Vittone and sophomore pinch runner David Chandler (Leesburg, Va./St. John's).

Durbin finished 2 for 4, as did Meredith. 

Junior Kenny Lavrich (Franklin, Pa./Cranberry) and freshman Dash Lanzilotta (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia) pitched the ninth inning in relief, with Lanzilotta recording the save. 

Five Grove City players recorded multi-hit outings Friday against Concordia. Junior first baseman Colin Marinpetro (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) collected three hits while Minnich, Sampson, Vittone and Weber all had two singles. Minnich scored twice. 

Sophomore pitcher Sam Bevin (Louisville, Ky./Wake County) pitched seven innings in his first start of the season. He allowed 10 hits and five earned runs, taking the setback. He struck out two. Sophomore Michael Earman (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) pitched two innings of relief and yielded one run. 

The Wolverines return to action March 2 against Aurora at 10 a.m. in Auburndale.