WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 21) – The Waynesburg University baseball team completed a three-game season sweep of Westminster on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to an early lead, fell behind and came back late during their 5-4 home victory over the Titans.
 
The win pulled Waynesburg (16-13-1, 14-4) to within a half-game of first-place Thomas More. It was the team's third-straight win.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Yellow Jackets showed some power at the plate with a pair of solo homeruns in the top of the second. Sophomore third baseman Cameron Bernhardt led off the frame with his second long ball of the season to open the scoring. Two batters later, sophomore catcher Ben Miller launched team-best third blast of 2015 to make the score 2-0.
 
After a scoreless third inning, Waynesburg struck again, this time by scratching out a tally. Sophomore first baseman Jonathon Kletzli led things off with a double, which was followed by a Bernhardt single that put runners on the corners. Jacket run number three came across during a double-play ball.
 
Trailing 3-0, Westminster (15-20, 9-12) took advantage of three Jacket errors and a wild pitch to plate four runs with just two hits in the bottom of the seventh inning. By the time the home team was finally able to get to the plate in the bottom of the frame, the Titans owned a 4-3 advantage.
 
Waynesburg showed its mental toughness by battling back in the bottom of the eighth to regain the advantage. With two outs on the board and junior Matt Bensinger standing on second base, Kletzli singled in the game-tying run. After senior Kyle Weyand came in to pinch-run for Kletzli, he stole second base to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Bernhardt made up for some earlier defensive miscues by pulling a run-scoring single into left field that brought about the eventual final tally of 5-4.
 
Freshman pitcher Brandon Lawless made his first collegiate start on the mound and put together a solid six-plus innings on the mound. That native of nearby Carmichaels gave up four runs, none of which were earned, on just two hits. He walked five and struck out four.
 
The Waynesburg coaching staff made a bold move to try and ensure victory by calling on staff ace and current Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Pitcher of the Week Brian Resnik in the seventh. Resnik moved to 7-1 on the year by not allowing a run on three hits. He struck out three and didn't walk a batter.
 
Bensinger, Bernhardt and Miller collected a game-high three hits each, as the Jackets out-hit the Titans by an 11-to-five margin. Kletzli collected two hits on the day, while Bernhardt led all players with two RBI.
 
The Jackets are back in action on Thursday, April 23, when they travel to Pitt Greensburg for a single nine-inning game with the Bobcats. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.