WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 12) - A two-out home run in the top of the ninth propelled Grove City to an 8-7 victory over the Saint Vincent baseball team on the opening day of the 2022 Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
 
After Jordan Sabol's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth gave the Bearcats their first lead of the day at 7-6, the Wolverines' Nico Rodriguez smacked a two-out pitch over the scoreboard in left-center field for the eventual game-winning home run.
 
The Bearcats recorded nine hits on the afternoon, but were hamstrung by 10 runners left on base.
 
With the loss, No. 2 seed Saint Vincent (24-13) will now face elimination when they take on No 4 Westminster College at 3 p.m. on Friday. The Titans dropped the opening game of the tournament against top-seeded Washington & Jefferson.
 
Sabol, Derek Hald and Dimitri Gary each had two hits to lead the SVC offense, with Sabol and John Evans each recording two RBIs.
 
Jeremy Kruezweiser started on the mound and got the no-decision, bouncing back from a rough first inning to close with a line of 5.2 innings, five runs, nine hits and three strikeouts. Zach Barberich allowed one run in 1.1 innings of relief, while reliever Tyler Chrise threw the final two innings and was saddled with the loss after allowing the ninth-inning home run.  
 
The Wolverines jumped out to a big early lead, sending all nine men to the plate in the top of the first inning. Grove City used two walks, three singles and a two-run home run from Mally Kilbane to jump in front 4-0.
 
After Kruezweiser settled down to come back with a pair of shutout innings, the Bearcats answered back with three runs in the bottom of the third. Casey Jones led off by getting hit by a pitch, before Justin Wright walked and Julian Santana was also plunked to load the bases with none out. A grounder up the middle by Evans was misplayed, allowing both Jones and Wright to score and cut the deficit in half.Sabol then followed by laying down a squeeze bunt to score Santana and make it a one-run game.
 
After the Wolverines added one run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single from Markus Williams, SVC looked to threaten in the bottom half. Gary drew a pinch-hit walk and Hald singled, before a Jones ground ball to the right side moved both runners into scoring position. Both runners would remain stranded, though, with Grove City starter Tate Ostrowski getting two ground ball outs to end the inning.
 
The Wolverines regained a three-run lead on a solo home run in the top of the seventh by Bubba Hamilton, but SVC answered right back in the bottom. Evans and TJ Dailey drew one-out walks, before a grounder hit by Perroz was misplayed at second base, allowing Evans to scamper home to make it 6-4.  Gary then laced a line drive single down the right field line to plate Dailey and cut the deficit to one.
 
Grove City opened the top of the eighth with back-to-back singles, but on a bunt attempt, Chrise cut down the lead runner at third, before inducing an inning ending 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
 
After Jones led off the bottom of the eighth with a double off the fence in left field, Evans cracked a triple to the gap in left-center to tie the game at 7-7. Three pitches later, Sabol laced a liner to right center to bring home Evans with the go-ahead run.
 
The lead was short-lived, however. In the top of the ninth, Chrise got two quick outs, but Hamilton smacked a single and Rodriguez homered to left field to give the Wolverines an 8-7 lead.
 
Gary singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but Grove City closer Evan Umland retired the next three SVC batters in order to seal the win.
 
Hamilton went 4-for-5 to lead Grove City's 13-hit attack, while Rodriguez had three RBIs. Shane Cato, Grove City's third pitcher of the day, earned the win, allowing one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief.