May 6, 2008

Ping! Spotlight Performance of the Week Site

Erie, Pa. - With two complete game efforts last week, Mercyhurst red-shirt sophomore pitcher Steve Grife was featured on pingbaseball.com, winning the Division II "Ping! Spotlight Performance of the Week" award.

Grife is the first Mercyhurst player to earn the honor and it comes on the heels of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week award.

The right-hander led the Lakers to wins over Ashland and Northwood last week, logging 14 innings and allowing just one run and walking one while striking out 17. In his first start of the week against Ashland, he surrendered one run and struck out five, and then on three days rest, with only one run of support, he pitched his second complete-game shutout of the season and struck out a career-high 12 batters to defeat Northwood.

In his final four starts, Grife pitched four complete games, including a pair of shutouts. In a stretch of 28 innings, he allowed just two runs and two walks while striking out 35.

Grife finished the season with four-straight wins to lead the Lakers in mound victories at 6-5, and his 2.50 ERA ranked second in the GLIAC. He also led the conference in strikeouts with 78 and finished just one shy of tying the Mercyhurst single-season record.