Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (May 3) – The Waynesburg University baseball team picked the perfect time to sweep its first three-game season series against a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opponent in six years. After beating Westminster 11-3 on Friday in New Wilmington, the Yellow Jacket bats battered the Titans to the tune of a conference doubleheader sweep on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets took game one 15-0 and followed that up by coming back to win game two 17-3.  
 
The biggest news of the day came as the offense-filled afternoon came to a close. After Waynesburg (17-23, 13-11) completed its sweep of Westminster (11-24, 8-15), the Yellow Jackets learned that they qualified for this year's PAC postseason tournament. It marks the first time the Jackets have punched their tickets for the conference playoffs since 2005.
 
The home team grabbed control of the opener in the first inning and never relinquished it. After freshman starting pitcher Luke Carter retired the Titans in order in the top of the inning, Waynesburg dropped nine runs on the opposition in the bottom of the frame and sent 13 batters to the plate. The Jackets collected nine hits and added a hit batsman during the outburst. Senior catcher Marc Timmons and junior second baseman Neal Yakopin both connected on two-run singles during the early run of scoring.
 
Waynesburg added a run in the second, three in the third and two in the fourth in support of Carter, who picked up the win on the mound. The rookie righty recorded arguably his best collegiate outing on the mound after scattering four hits and a walk over five innings of work. Freshman Derek Whalen and sophomore Tyler Prevost pitched a perfect inning of relief each to preserve the win.
 
Game two once again saw the home team jump out to an early lead, as Timmons and junior leftfielder Ben Shorthouse both connected on RBI singles in the bottom of the first inning to give their team a 2-0 edge. Waynesburg seemed to have its momentum interrupted by a roughly 30-minute rain delay, the second such stoppage of the doubleheader, following the conclusion of the opening frame. When play resumed, Westminster jumped out to its first lead of the day by plating three runs in the second inning and two more in the fourth to go ahead 5-2.
 
The Yellow Jackets responded to the Titans' challenge with a six-spot in the fourth to regain the lead at 8-5. Junior right fielder Eric Crum, freshman shortstop Nathan Mori and sophomore first baseman Matt Bensinger connected on back-to-back-to-back doubles that drove in a total of four of the frame's six runs.
 
With momentum squarely back with the home team, Waynesburg made sure to not relinquish the lead by tacking on nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior centerfielder Clay Roman went two-for-two in the frame with a single, a run scored and a two-run double that closed out the game's scoring.
 
Freshman Colton Lippencott picked up the win on the mound after relieving sophomore starter Connor Furwa. Lippencott faced seven batters over 2.1 innings of work and didn't allow a base-runner in the victory. Sophomore Derrick Zavatsky closed out the regular season-ending victory with a one-two-three seventh inning.
 
The Jackets out-hit Westminster 40-to-nine in the sweep. Crum and Roman both went six-for-nine over the two victories and combined for four doubles, nine RBI and eight runs scored. Yakopin tied for the team lead on the afternoon with five total RBI, while Mori, Kletzli and Bensinger were three of five Jackets to score four runs each.
 
With its spot in the postseason secured, Waynesburg will learn who it faces in the first round of the double-elimination tournament tomorrow. Washington & Jefferson is locked in as the number-one seed and will host the event. Thomas More has guaranteed itself the number-two seed and will play Bethany tomorrow in both teams' regular season finale. If the Saints beat the Bison, the Jackets will get the number-three seed and face Thomas More. If Bethany is victorious, the Jackets face the top-seeded Presidents.