WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 14) – The Waynesburg University softball team played its final non-conference games of the 2016 season on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets welcomed Pitt Greensburg to their sun-drenched home field and played to a doubleheader split with the Bobcats.
 
Waynesburg (13-17) took game one 1-0, before UPG (5-20) scored a 3-0 win in the late contest. The doubleheader was played as the Jackets' "Strikeout Cancer" event. Instead of wearing its standard orange and black, the home team sported dark red and white to bring attention to cancer research.
 
Freshman Courtney Messenger pitched the Jackets to the win in the early contest. She scattered seven hits, six of which were singles, over a complete-game effort. Messenger didn't' walk a hitter and racked up five strikeouts. The first-year righty's efforts were backed up by a third-inning RBI groundout from freshman shortstop Keri Renzler that allowed senior centerfielder Jessica Dorazio to sprint home with the game's only run.
 
Waynesburg pulled out the win despite being out-hit by a seven-to-two margin. Both base knocks came from freshman third baseman Sabrina Stankus. One of those hits was a double.
 
Game two saw a combination of costly Waynesburg mistakes and strong Greensburg pitching do in the Yellow Jackets. The Bobcats scored a run in the third before tacking on a pair of insurance tallies in the seventh. Two of the three scores were of the unearned variety.
 
Senior Stephanie Kotomski suffered the loss, despite allowing just one earned run on nine hits and no walks. The veteran picked up four strikeouts in the loss.
 
Renzler recorded two of her team's three hits in the loss, one of which was a double. Junior catcher Mackenzie Smith connected on the Jackets' other base knock.
 
Waynesburg returns to play on Saturday with a home Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader against Bethany on Saturday. The twin bill will serve as the Jackets' senior day.