Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 27) – The Waynesburg University baseball team twice broke the hearts of visiting Geneva by pulling off comebacks in the latter innings of each game of Tuesday's home doubleheader.
In game one, the Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings and pull off a 4-3 victory over the Golden Tornadoes. In game two, the Jackets trailed 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, only to pull out a 10-6 win. With the triumphs, Waynesburg improved to 14-17 on the season, while Geneva fell to 14-19. The Jackets also snapped a five-game Golden Tornado win streak.
In game one, Geneva posted three runs in the top of the second inning and held a 3-0 advantage going into the bottom of the seventh. With just three outs to work with, Waynesburg hit the comeback trail. Senor designated hitter Bryan Leones led off with a single and was pinch run for by freshman Bill Spina. Left fielder Kenny Grant reached base on a fielder's choice and moved Spina moved up to second. With two on and nobody out, senior second baseman Wes White Jr doubled into left field to plate Spina and cut the Geneva lead to 3-1.
Sophomore third baseman Corey Goeggelman followed with a sacrifice fly to right that brought Grant home and make the score 3-2. Junior centerfielder Rob Cool Jr ripped a double down the third base line to push White across home plate and tie the game (3-3). A double play ended the inning and moved the contest into extra innings.
After the Tornadoes failed to score in the top of the eighth, the stage was set for the Jackets to pull out the win. After junior first baseman Bill Hanning singled to lead off the inning, sophomore catcher Brendan Scioscia moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. With a runner on second and one out, sophomore right fielder Chris Dittmar walked, but Geneva picked up a second out when sophomore Mike Neckerman reached base on a fielder's choice.
However, the Jackets showed how much of a virtue patience really is as Grant walked to load the bases and White drew a five-pitch free pass to bring Dittmar home for the game-winning run.
After giving up three runs in the top of the second, sophomore starting pitcher Ben Oviatt settled down and turned in a solid performance. Only one of the runs given up by the lefty was earned. He scattered five runs and four walks, while recording one strikeout on the afternoon.
White, Hanning and Leones led the offense with two hits a piece. White drove in a game-high two runs and stole his team-best 15th base of the season.
Much like game one, things didn't start well in the late contest as Geneva built up a 5-0 lead after two innings of play. Waynesburg got back into the contest in the bottom of the third with four runs on three hits and two walks. Goeggelman drove in the Jackets' first run of the game on a single (5-1). Two batters later, after junior shortstop Anthony DeFilippo walked to load the base, Hanning game through in a big way with a bases-clearing double that cut the deficit all the way down to a single run (5-4).
After neither team scored in the fifth inning, Geneva got a solo homerun that pushed their advantage back out to two runs (6-4). Still trailing by a pair going into the bottom of the sixth, Waynesburg cut the Tornadoes' lead down to 6-5 when Spina, who was pinch-running after a Leones single, scored on a throwing error. A single by Grant and a walk by White loaded the bases. Two batters later Cool drilled a double down the left field line to move the Jackets ahead 7-6. The final nail in Geneva's coffin was hammered home by DeFilippo, who connected on his first collegiate homerun, a three-run shot, which moved the home team ahead 10-6. The Golden Tornadoes were able to record the final two outs of the inning, but the damage had already been done.
Dittmar came in out of the bullpen to seal up the win. He relieved starting pitcher Tim Knight, who picked up the win after giving up six runs on 11 hits. The junior racked up five strikeouts over six innings of work. DeFilippo led the Jackets at the plate by going two-for-three with three RBI and two runs scored. Cool, Hanning and Leones also recorded two hits each. Hanning also picked up three RBI, while White and sophomore catcher Noah Pust each scored twice.
The Yellow Jackets will try to keep their winning ways going on Friday, April 30, when they travel to Crestview Hills, Ky. to face Thomas More for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader.
