Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
 
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (April 28) – The Waynesburg University baseball team split a seven-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader at Geneva on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets dropped the opener of the twin-bill 4-3 before roaring back in game two to win 14-5.
 
The Golden Tornadoes (15-21, 9-15) scored early and often during their victory, which ended Waynesburg's (22-15, 11-10) four-game PAC win streak. The home team posted a run in the bottom of the first and two more the following inning to go up 3-0, a lead they maintained until the top of the fourth, when the Jackets were able to break up the shutout.
 
With two outs on the board, freshman second baseman Joseph Smith smacked a triple and came around to score during the ensuing at-bat of senior third baseman Tim Chilcote. Chilcote actually struck out, but a wild pitch not only allowed the veteran to head down to first base, but Smith came in to score and trim the deficit down to 3-1. Junior right fielder Adam Horning kept the inning going with a walk and the number-nine hitter, senior centerfielder Mike Neckerman, doubled in the team's second run to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Tornadoes.
 
Geneva scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth before the visiting team tacked on the game's final tally in the top of the seventh.
 
Senior righty Rob Baumgartel started the game on the mound and tossed all six innings of a complete game. He gave up just five hits, all singles, but walked five opposing batters and hit another in the loss.
 
Geneva looked primed to pull a sweep and deal serious damage to Waynesburg's PAC playoff hopes after taking a 3-1 lead following three innings of game two. However, the Yellow Jackets won the three-game season series over the Golden Tornadoes thanks in large part to a total of 14 runs over the final four innings of play.
 
Down two runs in the top of the fourth, the Jackets grabbed a 4-3 advantage in the top of the fourth on an error and two sacrifice plays. Their lead grew to 5-3 on an RBI fielder's choice by senior first baseman Noah Pust. After the Tornadoes pulled back to within one run (5-4) with a score in the bottom of the fifth, Pust came up with the big hit of the ball game by belting a three-run triple that put his team ahead 8-4. Horning singled in the inning's fourth run and the Jackets were well on their way to victory.
 
Waynesburg made sure the win was safe with five runs in the top of the seventh, two of which came on a Chilcote triple.
 
Sophomore Zach Kreke picked up the win on the mound after tossing a complete game that included five earned runs on 10 hits and two walks. Kreke picked up two strikeouts in the victory.
 
Waynesburg enjoyed several strong performances at the plate while cranking out 19 hits on the day. Smith led the charge by going five-for-seven (.714) with a double, a triple, an RBI, a run scored and four stolen bases in four attempts. Senior catcher Brendan Scioscia hit .667 (four-for-six) with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored, while Pust drove in a team-high four RBI in the doubleheader. Chilcote and sophomore Andrew Rose scored a team-best three runs each.
 
With the split, Waynesburg enters the last week of its season in fourth place in the PAC standings, which would give them the final spot in the four-team conference playoffs. The Jackets return to action on Friday, May 4, when they travel to Westminster for a nine-inning conference matchup. Whether or not Waynesburg gets into the postseason could be determined by a home doubleheader with the Titans on Saturday, May 5.