AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 13) – The Waynesburg University baseball team finished its week-long stay at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Friday with a doubleheader against Albion. The Yellow Jackets scored first in both games against the Britons, but wound up being swept by the final scores of 7-4 and 6-3.
 
Game one opened with three scoreless innings, before the Jackets (2-9) plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior Eric Crum led off the frame with a walk and moved to second base on a single by sophomore Nathan Mori. Junior Matt Bensinger loaded the bases with a single.
 
Sophomore Jonathon Kletzli plated the game's first run when he was hit by a pitch, which allowed Crum to score. Waynesburg's lead grew to 2-0 when sophomore Luke Carter lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that brought Mori in from third base. Junior Brent Williams kept things rolling with a run-scoring groundout to second base, before sophomore Ben Miller doubled in sophomore Josh Hausler, who pinch-ran for Kletzli.
 
With a 4-0 lead and sophomore pitcher Jacob Meyer cruising on the mound, Waynesburg looked poised to snap what was then a seven-game losing streak. Unfortunately, Albion (4-2) had different ideas, as it plated one run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to trim the Jacket advantage to 4-3 going into the top of the seventh. The Britons completed their comeback with a grand slam in the top of the frame to go up 7-4.
 
Though it came in a loss, Meyer looked solid in his first start of the season. He allowed three runs on nine hits, but didn't walk a batter before leaving the game with a 4-3 lead. Junior Derrick Zavatsky took the loss on the mound after giving up four runs, two of which were earned, over the game's final 1.1 innings.
 
Game two got off to a similar start as the opener. Senior Neal Yakopin opened the contest with a walk and moved up to second base two batters later when Bensinger drew a walk. A Carter single loaded the bases with just one out on the board. Mori brought Yakopin in to score the game's first run when he beat out a fielder's choice.
 
The Britons tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second, but the Jackets regained the lead in the top of the third thanks to an RBI single by sophomore Justin Davey. Waynesburg doubled its advantage (3-1) one frame later thanks to a fourth-inning RBI double by Bensinger.
 
Unfortunately, the Orange and Black offense stifled from that point forward, while Albion scored two runs in the fourth on back-to-back errors to tie the score at 3-3. A three-run sixth inning from the Britons completed the win for Albion.
 
Three Waynesburg errors played a major role in the game-two setback, as just three of Albion's runs were earned. Jacket pitchers Derek Whalen, Parker Beatty, who took the loss on the hill, and Connor Furwa gave up just one hit each in the defeat. Five different Yellow Jackets notched one hit each in the late contest.
 
The Jackets are scheduled to return to action on Monday, March 16, when they travel to La Roche College for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.