Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 17) – A frustrating month of March continued for the Waynesburg University baseball team on Thursday when it played host to Penn State Altoona for a doubleheader.
Both teams displayed solid pitching and good defense, but it was the Lions who got just enough offense to pull out a two-game sweep of the Yellow Jackets by the final scores of 2-0 and 5-4.
Game one started out looking like it would be a blowout in favor of Altoona (8-4), as the visitors came out and put up a run in the first and a run in the second on freshman pitcher Zach Kreke. However, Kreke rebounded in his first start of the season by getting out of jams in both of the opening frames and not yielding a run in his final five innings of work.
Unfortunately, the usually potent Waynesburg bats were unable to push a run across home plate against PSA starter Matt Aungst, who worked all seven innings for the complete-game shutout. The Jackets (2-8) had their opportunities to score, including a bases-loaded setup in the second, but couldn't break through.
Kreke turned in a solid performance in his first collegiate start. He scattered nine hits over seven innings and struck out three while not walking a hitter. The Waynesburg defense also showed up in a big way by playing error-free ball.
It looked like Waynesburg would be able to salvage a split of the twin-bill in game two as the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the time the fifth inning had come to an end. With the game tied at 0-0 after three-and-a-half innings, the Jackets scored first thanks a leadoff double by senior shortstop Anthony DeFilippo in the bottom of the fourth and a subsequent single by junior catcher Noah Pust.
The Jackets tripled their advantage in the bottom of the fifth after back-to-back one-out walks to left fielder Mike Neckerman and right fielder Bill Spina put two runners on base. Senior centerfielder #Rob Cool, Jr. came through with a run-scoring single to right field that plated Neckerman and made the score 2-0 in favor of the home team. A sacrifice fly to right field by junior third baseman Tim Chilcote# pushed Spina in to score and made it 3-0 in favor of the home team as the fifth came to an end.
Unfortunately, Penn State Altoona made sure the lead was short-lived thanks to a four-spot in the top of the sixth that put the Lions ahead 4-3. However, Waynesburg fired back when senior second baseman Jesse Gonzalez shot an RBI double into the outfield that plated pinch-runner Ken Rosenbauer and tied the game up at 4-4 going into the top of the seventh.
One of Waynesburg's few mistakes ultimately cost the game in the top of the last inning as a botched pickoff attempt allowed an Altoona runner to cross home plate and put his team up 5-4. The top of the Jacket lineup went down in order during the last half of the seventh to end the afternoon.
Though it came in a losing effort, Waynesburg got another strong pitching effort from a freshman hurler. First-year lefty Drew Heinle gave up four earned runs on just five hits and two walks over six innings of play in a no-decision situation. He also struck out two batters. Senior Tim Knight suffered the loss by pitching the seventh.
DeFilippo and Cool both went two-for-six on the day to lead the Jacket offense.
Waynesburg will try to get back on track Saturday when they host another Penn State branch campus in PSU Behrend for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
