WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (Feb. 25) – The Waynesburg University baseball team opened its 2017 season on Saturday with two games at its usual Spring Break destination, the Russ Matt Central Florida Invitational. The Yellow Jackets competed in a seven-inning doubleheader against Capital and, despite a gritty performance in game one, were swept by the Crusaders.
 
Waynesburg (0-2) took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning in the opener, but a three-run frame gave the 4-3 victory to Capital (2-0). Game two belonged to the Crusaders, who took the win by the final score of 15-6.
 
The Jackets' first run of the year came in the top of the second of game one after putting runners on the corners with one out. Senior third baseman Cameron Bernhardt delivered his first RBI of the young season to plate sophomore right fielder Eli Kucherawy and make the score 1-0. After senior catcher Ben Miller singled to load the bases, senior shortstop Nathan Mori was hit by a pitch that allowed senior designated hitter Justin Davey to trot home with the day's second run.
 
Capital cut the Waynesburg advantage in half with a score in the bottom of the third. The Jackets got that run back in the top of the fifth thanks to sophomore second baseman Tyler Reis, who teed off on the year's first home run, a solo shot that reestablished a two-score advantage at 3-1.
 
Unfortunately, that was not only the Jackets' final run of the opener, but their final hit, as well. Waynesburg's final nine batters went down in order, while Capital recorded the game-deciding runs in the sixth.
 
Senior pitcher Luke Carter was cruising through his first mound action of the season before being pulled in the sixth. Carter allowed all four runs, two of which were earned, on five hits and four walks. The veteran righty struck out two, before senior Scott Hefty faced Capital's final two hitters of the early contest, the second of which was retired.
 
Davey recorded Waynesburg's only multi-hit effort of the opener by going two-for-three with a pair of singles. Six other Jackets notched one hit each in the loss.
 
Game two got off to a much more sour start for the Orange and Black. Capital's bats exploded for a six-run first inning, before tacking on three more in the third and five in the fourth. Trailing 14-0, Waynesburg finally got its offense going with three runs in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
 
Bernhardt and freshman first baseman Alex Hundiak both recorded bases-clearing doubles in the late inning outburst. Reis and sophomore outfielder Mitch Nordstrom both scored a pair of runs in the loss.
 
Senior Jacob Meyer suffered the loss on the mound after giving up six runs on six hits and a walk over the first two thirds of an inning. He was the first of six Waynesburg pitchers used in the late contest, including freshman Jonny Kutchman and junior Noah Lolley, who combined for 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Waynesburg is scheduled to get back to work tomorrow with a single nine-inning game against Franklin. First pitch is expected to be thrown at 11 a.m.