Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Apr. 18) – The Waynesburg University softball team split a pair of Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) games against Washington & Jefferson on Senior Day in Waynesburg.
The Yellow Jackets took the opener by the final of 9-1 after five innings of play, but found themselves on the wrong end of an eight-run contest in the second game, falling 8-0 in five.
The split gives the Jackets a 13-13 overall record and a 5-7 mark in the PAC. The Presidents are now 14-16 on the season and 7-3 in conference play.
The opener opened about as well as Waynesburg could have hoped for as senior pitcher Autumn Minor struck out the side in order in the top of the first. In the bottom of the frame, sophomore Amanda Baughman launched a three-run homer, her team-leading fourth of the year, to give the Jackets a 3-0 lead.
The Presidents got back into the contest with an unearned run in the top of the third that cut Waynesburg's lead to 3-1. However, the Jackets were able to seal the victory in the fourth and fifth innings.
The home team put up a pair of runs in the fourth thanks to RBI singles by second baseman Bre Kokladas and Minor. The Jackets made it 6-1 when shortstop Kristen Lautenschclager singled in third baseman Samantha Volponi.
Minor continued to help her own cause in the fifth when she ripped a two-run double into right-center field, giving Waynesburg an 8-1 lead. The game-ending run came with a little help from a W&J miscue.
With runners on first and second, and catcher Kristyn Klueg at the plate, W&J relief pitcher Stacey Beam uncorked a wild pitch that allowed pinch-runner Sarah Burrie to move up to third, and Baughman to move up to second. However, the play was far from over as a throw by the Presidents' catcher ended up in left field, allowing Burrie to come in and score the game-wining tally.
Minor had a huge game as Waynesburg took game one. She didn't yield an earned run for the second-straight game as she worked seven innings of two-hit ball with eight strikeouts to go to 7-6 on the year.
At the plate, she went two-for-three with a double, three RBI and a run scored. Kokladas added a two-for-three effort with two runs scored and an RBI.
In game two, things didn't go nearly as well for the Jackets as W&J scored two runs in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth and four tallies in the fifth to shut their hosts out.
Baughman suffered the loss after giving up six earned runs on 11 hits and a walk over five innings. The Washington native had better luck at the plate, going two-for-two with a pair of singles.
Waynesburg will close up the home portion of their season on Tuesday, Apr. 21, when they host Geneva for a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
