Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 25) – The Waynesburg University baseball team christened their new field in dramatic fashion during a two-game sweep of Pitt-Greensburg on a rainy Thursday afternoon.
After downing the Bobcats 7-3 in the opener, junior outfielder Rob Cool Jr belted a solo homerun over the left center field that broke up a tie game and propelled the Yellow Jackets to a 9-8 victory in game two. With the wins, Waynesburg's overall record improved to 4-7 on the year, while Pitt-Greensburg dropped to 3-7.
In game one, Waynesburg's offense was productive for almost the entire seven innings. After a scoreless first, right fielder Nick Berdine made a little history when he ripped a solo homer over the 12-foot high left field fence and gave the home team a 1-0 lead. Berdine's long ball was the first homerun in the history of the new field.
The Jackets effectively put the game out of reach in their half of the fourth inning as they batted around on their way to a five-run frame that put the home team ahead 6-0. Pitt Greensburg put up two runs in the top of the sixth and one more in the seventh, but it was too little too late. Waynesburg added a run in the bottom of the sixth to wrap up their scoring.
Cool, Berdine, third baseman Corey Goeggelman and shortstop Anthony Defilippo picked up two runs a piece in an 11-hit effort. Mike Neckerman picked up his first win of the season on the mound after throwing six innings of six-hit baseball. He gave up three runs, all earned, walked five and struck out two.
In game two, Pitt-Greensburg look poised to pick up the split on the day after jumping out to an 8-2 lead after three innings of play. However, Waynesburg didn't panic and patiently worked their way back into the contest. After a run in the bottom of the fourth made it 8-3, the Jackets exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fifth. A wild pitch and an error played a major role in the Jackets cutting the deficit to 8-7.
After shutting the Bobcats down in the top of the sixth, second baseman Wes White Jr scored on Defilippo's RBI single to tie the game at 8-8.
In the top of the seventh, Waynesburg relief pitcher Jesse Gonzalez got himself into a tight jam after loading the bases with just one out on the board. However, the junior righty got out of trouble by striking out back-to-back batters and setting the stage for the late-game heroics. Cool led off the inning with the game-winning blast.
Gonzalez picked up the win on the mound after relieving starter Patrick Logan, who worked the first 2.1 innings of the contest. Gonzalez scattered four hits over 4.2 innings of play in which he didn't yield a run. He walked two and struck out five on his way to picking up the win.
Cool ended up two-for-three in the late game of the twin bill, adding a double to his game-winning shot. He also scored three runs in the thrilling victory.
Waynesburg won't have much time to enjoy the win, as they open Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play on Friday, March 26, with a nine-inning game against Thiel College. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
