Box Score

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 24) – The Waynesburg University baseball team waited through a 45-minute rain delay to square off with Thiel College in a crucial nine-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) matchup. The game lived up to the expectation of two teams battling for a spot in the PAC tournament, and as the rain started to fall again, the Tomcats left Waynesburg with a 3-2 win.
 
The victory allowed Thiel (19-15, 12-6) to further cement itself into fourth place in the PAC standings, while the Jackets (16-16, 7-11) remained in fifth place. The top four teams in the conference qualify for the PAC postseason.
 
The Tomcats drew first blood in the top of the second when they produced two runs off freshman Jacket starting pitcher Brian Resnik. Resnik settled down from that point on and didn't allow another score over his four innings of work.
 
Waynesburg got on the board in the bottom half of the third inning when senior second baseman David Houseman came up with an RBI double that scored freshman catcher Derrick Zavatsky and cut Thiel's lead in half at 2-1. The Jackets remained in the one-run hole for three innings, before tying the contest at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Waynesburg used a little small ball to produce its final run of the contest. With runners on second and third and one out on the board, senior third baseman Tim Chilcote laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored senior first baseman Bobby Hartman, who picked up a one-out single earlier in the frame.
 
After Thiel regained a one-run lead (3-2) in the top of the eighth, the Jackets were finally able to chase Tomcat starter Cody Northcott in the bottom of the ninth after putting runners on first and second without yielding an out. Unfortunately, the Cats caught a big break by picking up a strikeout and a caught stealing in the same at-bat to leave a runner at first base with two outs on the board. The visitors wrapped up the win during the next at-bat.
 
Sophomore J. Jay Paskert suffered the loss on the mound after relieving Resnik in the fifth inning. Paskert gave up just one run on four hits and no walks, while striking out three opposing hitters. Waynesburg was led offensively by sophomore right fielder Ben Shorthouse, who went three-for-three at the plate with a double and a walk. Hartman added two hits in four at-bats with a run scored.
 
Waynesburg will continue its quest for a spot in the PAC playoffs on Friday, April 26, when the Yellow Jackets face PAC rival Westminster College at Consol Energy Park in Washington, Pa. The Jackets will serve as the home team and first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.