WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 8) – The Waynesburg University baseball team battled back from an early deficit to defeat Saint Vincent College 7-4 in a nine-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game on Wednesday. The victory allowed the Yellow Jackets to win the season series with the Bearcats 2-1.
The Jackets (10-12-1, 8-3) fell behind early after giving up a run in the top of the first inning and a second in the top of the third. Waynesburg got on the board in the bottom of the third when sophomore designated hitter
Jonathon Kletzli connected on an RBI single that drove in senior leftfielder
Ben Shorthouse.
After innings four through six saw neither team add to its respective run total, Saint Vincent (9-12, 4-7) posted a two-spot in the top of the seventh to take a 4-1 advantage. After the conclusion of the seventh-inning stretch, the Jacket bats came to life in a big way and not only came back against the Bearcats, but gave itself a three-run cushion heading into the final two frames of the afternoon.
Waynesburg scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh on four hits, a walk and two errors. The Jackets sent 12 batters to the plate, while SVC used four different pitchers to record three outs.
Sophomore third baseman
Cameron Bernhardt got plenty of help from the opposition as he reached base on an error and moved to second base with a balk. Two batters later, senior second baseman
Neal Yakopin singled to put runners on the corners. The next batter, Shorthouse, doubled into right field to score Bernhardt and put Yakopin at third base.
With his team down 4-2, sophomore shortstop
Nathan Mori walked to load the bases. The Jackets tied the game up at 4-4 during the next at-bat when junior first baseman
Matt Bensinger doubled to plate a pair of runs.
After a strikeout in the next at-bat threatened to curtail a big inning, junior catcher
Tyler Rubasky poked a two-run single through the right side of the infield that gave the Jackets their first lead of the day at 6-4. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for sophomore right fielder
Josh Hausler, who was pinch-hitting for starting right fielder
Eric Crum. Hausler reached on an error and during that at-bat, Rubasky scored an unearned run to bring about the eventual final score of 7-4.
Sophomore relief pitcher
Jacob Meyer made the three-run lead stand up, as he pitched three innings of relief to close out his first pitching victory of the year. He didn't allow a run on three hits and didn't walk a batter. He picked up a strikeout in the outing.
Meyer relieved starter
Luke Carter, who gave up four runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits and two walks. Carter racked up five strikeouts in the no-decision.
Shorthouse, Mori and Kletzli notched a team-high two hits each in the victory. Shorthouse scored a pair of runs, while Bensinger and Rubasky tied for the game lead with two RBI each.
Waynesburg is back in action on Monday, April 13, when the Jackets travel to Grove City for a nine-inning matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
