Box Score
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (May 4) – An important three-game weekend series against Westminster did not start well for the Waynesburg University baseball team on Friday. The Titans scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back as they took down the Yellow Jackets in New Wilmington by the final score of 10-2.
The Jackets (22-16, 11-11) suffered the loss, despite putting ace senior lefty
Ben Oviatt, who was looking for his 10
th win of the season, on the hill. The Titans (23-15, 14-8) chased Oviatt after just two innings of work, in which he gave up seven runs, four of which were earned, on seven hits and a walk.
Westminster opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first before exploding in the second to go up 7-0. The Titans' lead eventually grew to 10-0 after six innings of play, before the visiting team finally broke through for a run in the top of the seventh and one more in the top of the eighth.
Oviatt was the first of four Jacket hurlers to see the mound on the day, none of whom lasted longer than three innings. Waynesburg was led at the plate by senior catcher
Brendan Scioscia and junior first baseman
Bobby Hartman, who tallied two hits each. Senior leftfielder
Nick Berdine tripled and scored a run.
With the loss, Waynesburg now sits in a tie for the fourth and final spot in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs with Saint Vincent, which came back from a 10-run deficit to beat Grove City on Friday. However, due to the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Bearcats, the Jackets are now in fifth place in the PAC standings and in danger of just missing out on the postseason.
With that in mind, tomorrow's home doubleheader with Westminster takes on massive significance, as Waynesburg needs to win at least one game and hope for some help as they try to qualify for the playoffs. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the doubleheader will also serve as the stage for Waynesburg's annual “Salute the Troops” event, which recognizes any and all veterans in attendance. All active and retired military personnel are invited to attend.
