GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team dropped both ends of a non-conference doubleheader Saturday with visiting Houghton (8-4) at Jack Behringer Field. Houghton won the opener, 6-2, then rallied for a 14-12 win in the nightcap. Game One started 49 minutes late due to rain while darkness halted the second game after six innings. 

Freshman shortstop Sam Meredith (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) went 2 for 3 in the opener for Grove City (8-6). He scored on a third-inning sacrifice fly from junior center fielder Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) to tie the game 1-1. Grove City then took a 2-1 lead when sophomore catcher Adam Weber (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) scored on a groundout by junior first baseman Colin Marinpetro (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny).

Houghton reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth inning on Christian Tortorici's three-run double. Houghton added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. 

Freshman pitcher Dash Lanzilotta (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia) pitched five innings and allowed three earned runs. He struck out three and walked four while taking the defeat. Freshman Corey Veverka (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) pitched a scoreless sixth inning. Sophomores Ross Morrow (McKean, Pa./General McLane) and Michael Earman (Grove City, Pa./Grove City) combined for the three outs of the seventh inning. 

Grove City scored its 12 runs on only nine hits as Houghton hurlers issued nine walks. Sophomore DH Dan Luko (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) doubled and singled. Senior right fielder Josh Minnich (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and freshman left fielder Braeden Coyle (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) both added a pair of hits.

Marinpetro doubled and scored two runs. Sampson also scored twice. Sophomore third baseman Sam Bevin (Louisville, Ky./Wake County) cracked a two-run single in the third that gave Grove City a 7-4 lead. 

Minnich drove in senior second baseman Luke Vittone (Seven Fields, Pa./Eden Christian) in the bottom of the fifth to give Grove City a 12-7 lead. However, Houghton scored seven runs in the top of the sixth inning. 

Sophomore pitcher Bryce Trischler (Mars, Pa./Shady Side Academy) started and allowed two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. Earman followed with 2 2/3 innings of relief. He struck out three while allowing one run and two hits. Sophomores Wil Peters (Mesa, Ariz./Westwood) and Jack Houston (Vienna, Va./Vienna) both pitched in the sixth, as did junior Raymond Stierer (Sewickley, Pa./Eden Christian). Peters absorbed the defeat.

Grove City will host Penn State DuBois at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a single non-conference game.