WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 27) – The Waynesburg University baseball team didn't' seem bothered by freezing temperatures and snow flurries during Friday's nine-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game with Geneva. The Yellow Jackets put together maybe their best game of the season as they shut out the Golden Tornadoes 11-0.
 
Waynesburg (4-10-1, 2-1) combined two outstanding pitching performances with a 14-hit assault at the plate to pick up their second-straight PAC shutout. Things started slowly as neither team was able to score over the first 2.5 innings of play. The look of the game changed in the bottom of the third, when the Jackets blew up for five runs that provided more than enough offense to secure the victory.
 
Senior right fielder Eric Crum led off the big frame with a walk and moved to second when senior second baseman Neal Yakopin was hit by a pitch. After junior catcher Tyler Rubasky successfully executed a sacrifice bunt, junior centerfielder Matt Bensinger brought Crum and Yakopin home with a two-run single.
 
After Bensinger stole second base and sophomore first baseman Jonathon Kletzli singled to put runners on the corners, sophomore third baseman Cameron Bernhardt brought Bensinger across home plate with a single of his own. Junior designated hitter Brent Williams loaded the bases with a base knock. Sophomore shortstop Nathan Mori came through with his team's second two-run single of the inning to make the score 5-0. Geneva (7-8, 1-2) recorded the final two outs to stifle the Waynesburg offense, but the damage was more than done.
 
The Jackets kept the pressure on the opposition with a two-run double in the fifth off the bat of Crum followed by a four-run sixth inning. Bensinger launched a run-scoring triple during the big frame, before Kletzli singled in his team's ninth run of the day. Bernhardt followed with an RBI double and freshman leftfielder Justin McPhail closed the scoring with a single that allowed Bernhardt to cross home plate.
 
All the offense was more than enough support for junior starting pitcher Brian Resnik, who improved to 3-1 on the season with his second-straight dominant mound performance. Resnik allowed just two singles and two walks over seven shutout innings en route to his second win in as many starts. The 2014 first-team All-PAC selection struck out eight Tornadoes in the win.
 
Freshman Noah Lolley showcased some exciting potential by tossing two perfect innings of relief. The rookie righty struck out three of the six batters he faced.
 
Waynesburg is scheduled to be back in action on Tuesday, March 31, when it travels to Saint Vincent College for a PAC doubleheader. First pitch between the Jackets and Bearcats is scheduled for 1 p.m.