NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (April 14) – The Waynesburg University baseball team traveled to Westminster College for a seven-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets swept the Titans by the final scores of 14-3 and 9-3.
 
Despite scoring at least 10 runs for the sixth time this season, the Waynesburg (13-12-1, 11-3) bats started slowly in the opener. However, the Yellow Jackets eventually produced their biggest single inning of the season.
 
Trailing 2-0 heading into the fifth inning, the Jackets exploded for 12 runs in the top of the frame on nine hits, two errors and three walks. In all, Waynesburg sent 16 batters to the plate and faced three different pitchers during the outburst.
 
Junior catcher Tyler Rubasky started things off with a single and moved to third base on a single by sophomore third baseman Cameron Bernhardt. After sophomore designated hitter Ben Miller walked to load the bases, senior right fielder Eric Crum tied the game with a two-run double that scored Rubasky and Bernhardt.
 
Senior second baseman Neal Yakopin recorded two RBI of his own with a single into right field that plated Crum and Miller to give Waynesburg its first lead of the day at 4-2. Senior leftfielder Ben Shorthouse kept things going with a single to centerfield. The Jackets scored the eventual game-winning runs when the Titans (13-18, 7-10) committed an error on a bunt attempt by sophomore shortstop Nathan Mori. The miscue allowed Yakopin and Shorthouse to cross home plate and put the visiting team up 6-2.
 
After Westminster collected the first out of the frame, sophomore first baseman Jonathon Kletzli singled home Mori to extend the score to 7-2. After Kletzli stole second, he recorded his team's eighth run of the frame on a Rubasky single.
 
Another Bernhardt single moved Rubasky to second and Miller's second free pass of the inning reloaded the bases with just one out on the board. A second pitching change didn't help the Westminster cause as Crum walked in a run to put his team up 9-2. Westminster committed a second costly error in the inning, and like the first miscue, Waynesburg took advantage for two runs. Shorthouse closed out the scoring with an RBI double that was followed by an inning-ending double-play.
 
Despite already having more than enough offense to seal up the victory, the Jackets tacked on two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh on RBI singles by Yakopin and Shorthouse.
 
Sophomore pitcher Luke Carter had more than enough support to toss a complete game that improved his season record to 3-2. The righty allowed three earned runs on 11 hits. Carter struck out three Titans and didn't give up a walk.
 
Game two saw Waynesburg score early and often against the home team. The Jackets scored two runs in the first, second and fourth innings, respectively to go up 6-0. The biggest highlight of the stretch was Yakopin's second homerun of the season, a two run blast in the fourth. Junior first baseman Matt Bensinger recorded his PAC-leading fifth triple of the season to put his team up 8-0 in the sixth inning.
 
Sophomore Jacob Meyer won his second game in as many appearances, and his first as a starter in 2015. He allowed three earned runs on nine hits and no walks over the complete-game effort. Meyer notched two strikeouts in the victory.
 
The Jacket offense, which has piled up 92 runs over an 8-1 stretch for the Orange and Black, featured three batters who hit .500 or better over the sweep. Crum went four-for-five with two doubles, four RBI and four runs scored. Shorthouse collected six hits in nine at-bats with two doubles, while Bernhardt went three-for-six with four runs scored. Waynesburg hit .477 as a team and every player that came to the plate collected at least one hit.
 
Waynesburg's sweep, combined with a two-game sweep by Thiel over Thomas More, allowed it to move into a tie for first place in the PAC standings. The Jackets also improved their overall winning percentage to above .500 for the first time since being 2-1 during their spring break trip to Florida back on March 8.
 
The Jackets are back in action on Friday, April 17, when they host Bethany for a nine-inning PAC contest. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.