MEADVILLE, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team improved to 8-4 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference by sweeping a road doubleheader Saturday afternoon from host Allegheny. Grove City (13-12) rallied for a 9-6 win in the opener, then captured a 13-11, 11-inning victory in Game Two at Garbark Field. 

Junior right fielder Caleb Backos (Troy, Mich./Bloomfield Christian) broke the 11th inning tie in the nightcap by belting his first collegiate home run. Following a leadoff double by junior catcher Adam Weber (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour), Backos launched a 1-0 pitch over the fence in right center field. 

Freshman pitcher Caz Ostrowski (Essex, Mass./Covenant Christian) then retired Allegheny in the bottom of the 11th to secure the win. Ostrowski, Grove City's fifth pitcher of the game, earned the victory by striking out six men in 3 1/3 innings. He allowed one run. 

Grove City jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first without registering a hit. Five walks and two errors fueled the rally. In the sixth inning, Weber scored on a wild pitch and then Backos and sophomore left fielder Braeden Coyle (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) both came home on a two-run single from junior center fielder David Chandler (Leesburg, Va./St. John's).

One inning later, Chandler again singled in Coyle and Backos. Junior Dan Luko (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) gave Grove City an 11-3 lead with a pinch hit solo home run. 

Allegheny rallied for seven runs against the Grove City bullpen in the eighth inning, then tied the game in the ninth when Eli Bryant homered on the first pitch of the inning. 

Backos finished 3 for 6 with four runs scored while Coyle went 2 for 4. Grove City finished with 10 hits. 

Junior pitcher Bryce Trischler (Mars, Pa./Shady Side Academy) allowed two earned runs in seven innings. He struck out two and permitted six hits. Freshman Jack Guiffre (Farmington, N.Y./Victor), junior Wil Peters (Mesa, Ariz./Westwood) and sophomore Corey Veverka (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) all pitched in the eighth inning.

Grove City trailed 5-2 entering the seventh inning of the opener. Freshman third baseman Nick Remish (Norristown, Pa./Methacton) doubled in Backos and then scored on a single by freshman DH Johnny Reyes (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard). 

Allegheny added a run in its half of the seventh inning but the Wolverines surged ahead with five runs in the top of the eighth inning. Senior first baseman Colin Marinpetro (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) and Coyle both walked with the bases loaded to tie the game. Backos gave Grove City the lead when a 1-0 pitch hit him with the bases loaded. 

Remish followed with a walk that forced home Marinpetro. Weber's infield single scored Coyle. 

Veverka then threw two perfect innings to earn his first save. He struck out two in his outing. Senior pitcher Kenny Lavrich (Franklin, Pa./Cranberry) earned the win by pitching seven innings. Lavrich (2-2) struck out five while allowing five earned runs and nine hits.

Chandler went 3 for 5 in Game One while Remish finished 2 for 3. All nine offensive starters had at least one hit as Grove City finished with 12 hits. 

Saturday's doubleheader started the Wolverines' six-game road trip. Tuesday, Grove City will visit conference foe Franciscan for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. in Steubenville.