Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
BETHANY, W.Va. (March 26) – The Waynesburg University baseball team wrapped up its first three-game Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) series of the season with a seven-inning doubleheader at Bethany College on Saturday.
The Yellow Jackets ended up taking two of three from the Bison for the season after splitting the twin-bill. Bethany (6-4, 1-2) picked up the win in game one with a 7-6 decision that took 10 innings to decide and the Jackets (4-11, 2-1) rebounded with a 9-5 victory in the late contest.
After both teams posted zeroes in the first inning, Waynesburg struck first in the top of the second when freshman leftfielder Dan Buzzard lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that scored junior catcher Brendan Scioscia, who led off the frame with a walk. The Yellow Jackets extended their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fourth when freshman second baseman Andrew Rose singled in junior third baseman Tim Chilcote.
After Bethany cut the deficit down to 2-1 in the bottom of the frame, Waynesburg responded with three runs in the top of the fifth. Senior shortstop Anthony DeFilippo plated the first run of the frame when his groundout to second base brought junior designated hitter Corey Goeggelman around to score. Junior first baseman Noah Pust and junior catcher Brendan Scioscia also crossed home plate in the inning to give the Jackets a 5-1 advantage.
Unfortunately, the Bison answered with a three-spot of their own to make it 5-4 Waynesburg in the bottom of the sixth. The home team then forced the game into extra innings with the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh.
After neither team scored in the eighth or ninth inning, the Jackets regained the lead in the top of the 10th when Rose singled in sophomore Ty Holderbaum to make the score 6-5 Waynesburg. The Bison got the last laugh in the opener, however, thanks to a one-out two-run walk-off single in the 10th to grab the win.
Junior Rob Baumgartel suffered the loss on the mound for the Jackets after giving up six runs, four of which were earned, during 4.1 innings of relief. Baumgartel relieved sophomore Anthony Longo, who worked five innings and gave up just one run on four hits and three walks.
Waynesburg got off to a fast start in game two by recording the first five runs of the contest in the top of the first. Pust punctuated the inning with his first homerun of the season, a three-run blast that scored himself, Goeggelman and DeFilippo and put the Jackets ahead 3-0. Two batters later, junior right fielder Nick Berdine blasted his first long ball of the season, a two-run shot that pushed Scioscia across home plate and closed up the scoring in the half-inning.
After the Bison responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first, Waynesburg took control of the game by scoring the next four runs of the game over the following five innings. The Jackets picked up a pair of those scores in unearned fashion during the top of the sixth, thanks in large part to an error and two walks courtesy of the home team.
Leading 9-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Waynesburg gave a run back to Bethany, but were able to close the door on the victory.
After giving up four runs in the first, junior pitcher Ben Oviatt settled down and gave up just one run over the remainder of a seven-inning, complete-game effort. He gave up five earned runs on eight hits and five walks. He recorded three strikeouts during the victory.
Buzzard enjoyed his best day as a Yellow Jacket at the plate by going three-for-six (.500) with a single, a double, a home run, three RBI and a run scored. Pust added a four-for-nine performance which included his long ball, three RBI and two more runs scored. Scioscia and Chilcote scored three runs each over the two games.
Waynesburg is back in action on Tuesday, March 29, when the Jackets travel to New Wilmington to face Westminster in a PAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
