Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 19) – The Waynesburg University baseball team split a home seven-inning doubleheader against visiting Bethany College on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets fell 6-3 in the opener, before scoring a 3-1 win in game two. The split allowed the Jackets to take the season series from the Bison 2-1.
 
Waynesburg (13-17, 9-6) trailed 5-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, but managed to load the bases with two outs on the board. Freshman shortstop Nathan Mori got his team back into the contest by connecting on a bases-clearing double that pulled his team to within two runs at 5-3. Unfortunately, the home team's rally was halted and Bethany (13-11, 8-6) tacked on the game's final score in the top of the seventh to seal up the win.
 
After giving up four runs, all unearned, in the top of the first, freshman Luke Carter pitched well enough to win, but suffered defeat on the mound. Carter yielded four hits and three walks, while striking out two Bison over four innings of work.
 
Waynesburg shook off the opening-game loss and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in contest number two. After a scoreless first inning, the Jackets posted the game's first run in bottom of the second. Sophomore first baseman Matt Bensinger led the frame off with a triple. Two batters later, junior leftfielder Ben Shorthouse put down a squeeze bunt that allowed Bensinger to slide safely under an attempted tag at home plate.
 
The Jackets doubled their advantage to 2-0 in the bottom of the third by playing a little small ball. Senior centerfielder Clay Roman sacrifice bunted Mori over to second base for freshman designated hitter Jonathon Kletzli. With two outs on the board, Kletzli came through by shooting an opposite-field single through the right side of the infield to send Mori sprinting home.
 
The home team finished its scoring in the bottom of the fourth when Carter, who moved to third base for game two, led off with a double and moved to third on a Shorthouse single. Carter traversed the final 90 feet to home plate when Shorthouse was caught stealing and the Jacket third baseman sprinted in to score.
 
Bethany tallied its run in the top of the sixth inning, but that score also drew sophomore Derrick Zavatsky out of the bullpen in relief of sophomore starting pitcher Connor Furwa. Zavatsky not only picked up the final two outs in the sixth, but completed his fourth save of the year after blanking Bethany in the game's final half-inning.
 
Furwa improved to 3-1 on the season after working 5.1 innings of one-run ball. He gave up five hits and didn't walk an opposing hitter. The sophomore struck out a pair of Bison in the victory.
 
Waynesburg will play its final non-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader of the season on Monday, April 21, when the Jackets travel to La Roche College. First pitch of the twin-bill is scheduled for 3 p.m.