Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
BETHANY, W.Va. (April 13) – The Waynesburg University softball team picked up their first two Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) wins of their season on Tuesday, when they swept a road conference doubleheader at Bethany by the scores of 8-6 and 3-2.
With the pair of victories, which snapped a five-game losing streak, the Yellow Jackets are now 9-13 on the season and 2-4 in conference play. The losses dropped the Bison to 14-10 overall and 0-2 in PAC competition.
In the opener of the twin bill, junior pitcher Amanda Baughman gave the Jackets a 1-0 lead when she belted her fifth homerun of the season in the top of the first inning. It was the fourth-straight doubleheader in which Baughman belted a shot over the outfield fence.
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the sixth inning, when the Waynesburg bats exploded for six runs off of Bethany freshman pitcher Emily Jump. Right fielder Brittany Lyle got the big frame going with a lead-off single. She was followed by left fielder Nicole Forte reaching base on a fielder's choice. Baughman loaded the bases with a single, and was subsequently pinch-run for by Jaime Gillum. Freshman catcher Lizz Bombara came through with a two-run single to put her team up 3-0. Waynesburg reloaded the bases when shortstop Kristen Lautenschlager reached base on a fielder's choice, and the next batter, first baseman Elysia Orison put up two more runs with a bases-loaded single that put the visitors up 5-0.
After the Bison picked up their first out of the inning, the Jackets made it 6-0 on a groundout by designated player Tonya Tanner. Waynesburg just kept on hitting as third baseman Samantha Volponi singled and Lyle, who was the 10th batter of the inning, singled for the second time in the frame and drove in a run that made it 7-0 Jackets.
Bethany cut into the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth that made the score 7-2. Waynesburg put up a run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Pivik that made the score 8-2 in favor of Waynesburg.
Bethany was able to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh when they posted four runs to trim the Jackets' advantage to 8-6. Luckily, Baughman bounced back from giving up five-straight base-runners to retire the final two outs of the game on fly-outs.
In the first victory of the day, Lyle, Baughman and Bombara picked up two hits each. Baughman also scored a game-high two runs. When she moved out to the pitching circle, Baughman picked up the victory after giving up five earned runs on eight hits and four walks. She also recorded eight strikeouts in the win.
Despite the close final score, Waynesburg dominated Bethany at the plate, out-hitting their opponents 10-5 in game two. However, like the opener, the Yellow Jackets were again able to strike first when Tanner and Lyle both recorded RBI singles.
The Bison cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth on an unearned run. The Jackets wasted little time in responding as they rebuilt a two-run lead (3-1) in the bottom of the fifth when Tanner doubled in her second run of the game.
For a second-straight game, Bethany was able to come back late after scoring an unearned run on a throwing error to make the score 3-2. Once again, Baughman, who threw all 14 innings on the day, was able to slam the door on the rally when the got the final out on a groundout.
Tanner had perhaps her finest game of the year as a hitter by going three-for-three at the dish with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. For the second-straight game, Lyle picked up a pair of hits, while Orison went 2-3 with two singles.
Baughman didn't yield an earned run, and gave up just five hits and a walk. She added two strikeouts for a total of 10 on the day.
Waynesburg will look to keep the winning ways going on Friday, April 16, when they leave PAC play for a doubleheader at Pitt-Greensburg.
