CLERMONT, Fla. (March 6) – The Waynesburg University softball team opened the 2016 schedule on Sunday with a pair of contests at The Spring Games in the state of Florida. The Yellow Jackets fell 11-2 to Penn State Behrend, before losing a hard-fought 11-10 battle with Juniata.
 
Freshman Courtney Messenger got the opening day start in the circle for Waynesburg (0-2) and suffered the loss after tossing five-plus innings and recording four strikeouts. Junior second baseman Ashley Demarco went two-for-three with a double out of the leadoff spot. Senior right fielder Cami Grimes added a two-for-three performance with a double and a run scored.
 
Game two opened with the Jackets opening up a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Senior first baseman Katey Potopenko got things going with an RBI double. She came around to score on an RBI single by freshman designated player Alex Lawrence. Junior catcher Mackenzie Smith then plated Lawrence to close out the inning.
 
After the Eagles (2-0) tied things up with a three-spot of their own in the top of the second, the Jackets regained the lead at 5-3. Potopenko notched RBI number two on a sacrifice fly, before freshman leftfielder Cat Allstat singled home senior Jessica Dorazio.
 
Juniata looked poised to take over the game after plating five runs in the fourth and another score in the sixth. Trailing 9-5 in the bottom of the sixth, Waynesburg battled back into the contest with a four-spot. Allstat scored on a wild pitch and freshman third baseman Sabrina Stankus trotted home when junior centerfielder Demi Lewin was hit by a pitch. Potopenko brought home Demarco on a groundout RBI, before freshman shortstop Keri Renzler crossed home on a sacrifice fly by Lawrence to tie the score at 9-9.
 
The game went into extra innings following a scoreless seventh frame. With the game now being played under international tiebreaker rules, Juniata struck in the top of the eighth for two scores. The Jackets rebounded with Demarco scoring on an RBI groundout by Lewin. Potopenko kept things alive with a two-out walk, but the Jacket comeback stalled out by one run.
 
Allstat went a team-best three-for-four at the dish, while Potopenko drove in a squad-high three runs. Demarco and Lewin each scored twice in the loss. Stankus stole two bases against Juniata.
 
Senior Stephanie Kotomski started and worked three innings in the circle. She allowed three runs, one of which was earned, on four hits and no walks. Allstat took the pitching loss after tossing the final three frames of the game. She gave up three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits and no walks.
 
Waynesburg will look for its first win of the season on Monday. The Jackets face Emmerson College at 3 p.m., before squaring off with Wesleyan College at 7 p.m.