GAMBIER, Ohio (April 9) – The Waynesburg University baseball team split a pair of non-conference road games at Kenyon College on Saturday.
The Yellow Jackets (7-16) got an outstanding pitching performance from junior
Ben Oviatt as they took a 3-0 win from the Lords (12-14). Waynesburg fought back from an early deficit, but couldn't complete the comeback effort in the late game, which they dropped 4-3.
Waynesburg got all of the offense they needed in game one when they scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second. Junior first baseman
Brendan Scioscia and junior designated hitter
Nick Berdine both scored on a fielding error by Kenyon's shortstop. Already leading 2-0, the Jackets added the game's final run in the top of the third, when junior catcher
Noah Pust singled in centerfielder
Rob Cool Jr to make it 3-0 in favor of the visiting team.
That was more than enough support for Oviatt, who scattered six hits, including five singles, and a walk over seven innings of work. The southpaw also racked up four strikeouts in the Jackets' first shutout victory in exactly two years, which came on April 9, 2009, against Saint Vincent.
In game two, Kenyon built a 4-0 lead after five inning of play. The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the top of the sixth, when freshman second baseman
Andrew Rose tripled in Scioscia and junior leftfielder
Mike Neckerman to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The Jackets further cut into the lead when Berdine drove in senior shortstop
Anthony DeFIlippo in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, the Lords were able to stop the comeback try one run short in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Zack Kreke started and took the loss after working 5.2 innings on the mound. He gave up four runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits and two walks.
Berdine went three-for-five on the day to pace the Waynesburg offense. Scioscia added a four-for-seven effort at the plate with two runs scored.
Waynesburg returns to action on Friday, April 15, when the Jackets travel to Beaver Falls to face Geneva in a nine-inning game. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
