Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 6) – The weather finally cooperated long enough for the Waynesburg softball team to play its first home doubleheader of the season on Wednesday. The Yellow Jackets hosted Washington & Jefferson to open Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) competition and swept the twin-bill with the Presidents.
The Jackets (9-5, 2-0) took game one from the Presidents (6-10, 1-3) by the score of 7-3 and followed that up with an 8-2 triumph in the late game. The victories avenged a sweep at the hands of W&J in 2010.
The visitors got the opener started with two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead. The Jackets chipped into the deficit with an RBI single by senior leftfielder Nicole Forte that plated sophomore catcher Lizz Bombara in the second innings.
Waynesburg grabbed its first lead of the game in the bottom of the third with a three-run inning that moved the home team ahead 4-2. Freshman right fielder Jasmine Blackwell led off the inning with a walk and freshman second baseman Shannon Falleroni reached first base on an error. Two batters later, starting pitcher Amanda Baughman put the Jackets up 3-2 on a two-run double to left field. Two batters later, the senior righty came home on a single by Bombara.
After W&J tacked on its third and final run of the game in the top of the sixth, the Jackets put the game away with three more scores in the bottom of the inning. With two runners on and nobody out, sophomore shortstop Rachael Moon drilled a sacrifice fly to centerfield that brought Blackwell home and pushed the Jackets' lead back to multiple runs (5-3). Baughman put an exclamation point on the day with a towering two-run homer that brought about the final score of 7-3.
Along with going two-for-four with four RBI, Baughman also picked up the win in the circle. The three-time All-PAC honoree worked all seven innings, gave up just two earned runs on three hits and struck out six Presidents. Erin Shuman took the loss for W&J.
The Jackets scored early and often in game two, serving as the visiting team, and never trailed. Waynesburg posted three runs in the top of the first, including two that scored on wild pitches. Bombara also drove in a run on a groundout.
Still leading 3-0 going into the bottom of the third, W&J cut its deficit down to 3-2 after plating two runs off junior starting pitcher Lauren Minor. However, just like they did in game one, the Jackets didn't allow the Presidents to build on a big inning by firing back quickly.
In the top of the fourth, Forte led off with a single and scored on a Blackwell triple. Falleroni brought her fellow rookie the rest of the way home with a run-scoring single that put the Jackets ahead 5-2. Three batters later, senior centerfielder Amber Pivik brought Blackwell home with a single that made the score 6-2.
Waynesburg put the game away with two runs over the final three innings. Senior third baseman Samantha Volponi walked and came around the score on a Blackwell single in the fifth. After Baughman led off the sixth with a double, senior catcher Tonya Tanner brought her home with a sacrifice fly to center field to bring about the final score of 8-2.
The Jackets combined 11 hits and seven walks with a strong pitching performance by Minor to pick up the victory. The Waynesburg native scattered eight hits over seven innings of work to earn the win. Madison Rotto started and took the loss after giving up six runs over three innings pitched.
Blackwell connected for a team-best four hits, including two triples and a double, drove in two runs and scored four more. Forte, Baughman, Pivik and Falleroni chipped in three hits each and combined for seven RBI and seven runs scored.
The Yellow Jackets return to competition tomorrow, when they travel to Latrobe for a PAC double-header at Saint Vincent College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
