CLERMONT, Fla. (March 10) – The Waynesburg University softball team took to the field twice on Thursday to play a pair of evening contests at The Spring Games. The Yellow Jackets opened the day with a 5-0 loss to Manhattanville, before falling 9-5 against Emmanuel.
 
Waynesburg (2-6) managed just two hits against Manhattanville (7-0), but trailed just 2-0 after five innings of play. Freshman Cat Allstat started and took the loss in the circle after giving up four earned runs over a complete-game effort. She allowed eight hits and no walks, while striking out five opposing hitters.
 
The Jackets found much more offensive success in their late game against Emmanuel (4-4). The Saints raced out to a 7-0 first-inning lead, but Waynesburg out-scored the opposition 5-2 over the remainder of the contest.
 
The Yellow Jackets were finally able to get involved in the scoring during the bottom of the fourth, when RBI's by freshman Sabrina Stankus, senior Jess Dorazio and Allstat made the score 7-3. Emmanuel tallied the next two scores, before the Jackets made one last try at a comeback.
 
Trailing by six, Allstat plated a run with a single, before freshman shortstop Keri Renzler singled in senior designated player Katey Potopenko to bring up the eventual final score of 9-5. The Jackets still had the bases loaded and the potential game-tying run at the dish, but were unable to keep the rally going any further into the contest.
 
Allstat connected on a team-high three base hits in the loss. She also scored a run and drove in two more. Freshman third baseman Sabrina Stankus and Potopenko slapped two hits each in the loss.
 
Junior Lyndi Gareis started in the circle and suffered the pitching loss after allowing five runs on four hits and a walk over one-third of an inning. Freshman Courtney Messenger relieved Gareis and gave up just one earned run while the final six-plus frames.
 
Waynesburg wraps up its stay in Florida tomorrow, when it faces Lebanon Valley at 9 a.m. and Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 11 a.m.