WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 8) – The Waynesburg University baseball team hosted Penn State Behrend for a sun-drenched Saturday doubleheader. The Yellow Jackets slugged it out over 14 innings to earn a split with the visiting Lions.
 
Behrend (12-10) built an early lead and held off a late Jacket (9-14) rally for a 7-6 win in game one. Waynesburg snapped a six-game losing streak by producing its most runs this season since
March 2 during a 15-6 win in game two.
 
After a scoreless first inning in the opener, the home team fell behind 5-0 in the top of the second. However, the Orange and Black patiently combined three walks, a hit batsman, three singles and a sacrifice fly to put up five runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Freshman right fielder Justin Buberl had the big hit of the inning, when he slapped a two-out, two-run single. Sophomore second baseman Tyler Reis followed immediately with a run-scoring base knock of his own to tie the game.
 
A two-run homer in the sixth gave the visiting team the lead back at 7-5, but senior first baseman Jonathon Kletzli singled in Reis in the seventh to cut the deficit in half. Waynesburg eventually put runners at second and third with two outs, but couldn't produce one last big hit to tie the game or walk off with a victory.
 
Freshman Jonny Kutchman suffered the loss for Waynesburg after relieving freshman starter Mason Miller. Miller worked the first 1.2 innings and gave up five runs, all of which were earned. Kutzman was solid out of the bullpen. He yielded two runs, both earned, over 3.2 innings on the mound. Senior Scott Hefty didn't' allow a hit or a run over the final 1.2 frames.
 
Back-to-back homeruns off senior starting pitcher Derek Whalen allowed Behrend to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Reis responded with his fifth long ball in the bottom of the inning to slash the Lion lead in half.
 
Waynesburg still trailed by a run heading into the bottom of the third, when its bats caught fire for a seven-run outburst. Veteran infielders Cam Bernhardt and Nate Mori did the bulk of the damage in the big inning. Bernhardt connected on a two-run double, before Mori roped a bases-clearing two-bagger that made the score 8-2 in favor of the home team.
 
The Jackets kept pouring on the run support in the fourth, when Bernhardt drove in his third run of the game with a single. That base knock started a three-run inning that made the score 11-2 Waynesburg.
 
Behrend pulled to within five with a four-spot in the top of the fifth, but that was as close as it came to completing the sweep. Junior outfielder Tyler Godwin singled in the sixth to make the score 12-6, before Reis capped the scoring with a bang. The sophomore launched his Presidents' Athletic Conference-leading sixth homerun of the season, a three-run shot, later in the inning to record his second multi-homerun performance of the season.
 
Whalen picked up the victory on the mound after working 4.2 innings. He gave up six runs, all earned, on eight hits and a walk, while striking out five opposing hitters. Junior Noah Lolley was solid out of the bullpen. He closed out the day with 2.1 scoreless innings, during which he yielded three hits and one walk.
 
Reis spearheaded his team's productive day at the plate by going four-for-eight with two homeruns, a double, five RBI and four runs scored. He also played flawless defense with five putouts and seven assists.
 
Mori added a three-for-six effort with a double, four RBI and three runs scored. Bernhardt scored three times and chipped in three RBI to the winning effort, while Godwin picked up two walks to run his PAC-leading total to 19 free passes.
 
Waynesburg is scheduled to be in action on Monday, when it heads to La Roche for a non-conference matchup with the Redhawks. First pitch is set to be thrown at 4 p.m.