LATROBE, Pa. (April 6) – Offense took center stage during Monday's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader between Waynesburg University and Saint Vincent College. The two conference rivals split the twin-bill, as the Yellow Jackets took game one 13-5, before the Bearcats rebounded with two late runs to grab a 10-8 victory.
The Jackets (9-12-1, 7-3) fell behind 1-0 after the top of the first inning, but fired back with three runs in the top of the second. Senior second baseman
Neal Yakopin smacked a two-run single to give his team their first lead of the day. Senior
Eric Crum drove in Yakopin with a double of his own that made the score 3-1 Waynesburg.
The Bearcats (9-11, 4-6) cut the lead down to a single run after scoring in the bottom of the second. The Jackets regained a two-run advantage (4-2) when sophomore third baseman
Cameron Bernhardt singled home sophomore shortstop
Nathan Mori in the top of the third inning. Saint Vincent tied the score at 4-4 after scoring twice in the bottom of the third, which was the score heading to the fifth inning.
Waynesburg took firm control of the game in the top of the fifth by racking up seven runs and taking an 11-4 advantage. Six different Jackets drove in at least one run in the breakout inning, including junior centerfielder
Matt Bensinger, who drilled a two-run single to cap the offensive surge and put the Orange and Black ahead 11-4.
SVC managed to cut its deficit down to 11-5 with a tally in the bottom of the sixth. However, Waynesburg capped the contest with a two-run top of the seventh to put the finishing touches on the victory.
Junior pitcher
Brian Resnik improved to 4-1 on the season after allowing five runs, all earned, on 13 hits and three walks. He also struck out seven Bearcats over 5.2 innings of work. Junior
Derrick Zavatsky worked the final 1.1 innings and allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out one SVC hitter.
Waynesburg trailed for the majority of game two, but managed to tie the score late in the afternoon. Facing an 8-3 deficit heading into the top of the sixth inning, the Jackets came all the way back to knot things up with five runs in the sixth.
Bernhardt started the comeback with an RBI single that made the score 8-4. Senior leftfielder
Ben Shorthouse recorded the big blow of the frame with a three-run homer that cleared the bases and shrunk Waynesburg's deficit down to 8-7. The Jacket comeback was completed when sophomore first baseman
Jonathon Kletzli drew a bases-loaded walk.
Unfortunately, all of Waynesburg's hard work in the top of the sixth was undone by SVC plating two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Jackets attempted a second comeback in the top of the seventh, but went down in order to give the home team the victory.
Senior
Zach Kreke got the start for Waynesburg and took a no-decision after giving up seven runs, all of which were earned, on eight hits over 2.2 innings of work. Sophomore
David Cross took the loss in relief after yielding three runs on five hits over 3.0 innings on the mound.
Shorthouse had a monster afternoon at the plate, hitting .857 (six-of-seven) with a homerun, four RBI and four runs scored. Mori had one of his best days of the 2015 season by going five-for-seven with three runs scored and an RBI. Yakopin drove in a team-high six runs on four hits and stole a base.
The same two teams are scheduled to square off for a nine-inning game on Wednesday, April 8, in Waynesburg. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
