WAYNESBURG, Pa. (May 2) – The Waynesburg University baseball team hosted Bethany for a crucial nine-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game on Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets got a stellar pitching effort from senior Jacob Meyer as they defeated the Bison 6-2.
 
With the win, Waynesburg (17-19, 11-10) pulled to within one game of Grove City and Thiel, who are currently tied for third place in the conference standings. Waynesburg and Grove City will meet up this weekend in a series that could determine who qualifies for the upcoming four-team PAC championship tournament.

Meyer pitched one of his best games as a collegiate player. He worked all nine innings of the victory and gave up two earned runs on six hits and one walk. The veteran righty logged six strikeouts on the day and retired the first 10 Bison (13-20-1, 7-12) that came to the plate. Meyer didn't allow a hit until the top of the fifth inning.
 
After both teams failed to score during the first two innings of play, senior designated hitter Josh Hausler smoked a one-out triple to right field in the bottom of the third. The next batter, senior shortstop Nate Mori, came through with a run-scoring single to put his team up 1-0.
 
The Jackets were able to load the bases with one out in the top of the fourth thanks to walks to junior leftfielder Tyler Godwin and senior catcher Ben Miller sandwiched around a double by sophomore right fielder Mitch Nordstrom. Senior third baseman Cameron Bernhardt came through with the eventual game-winning hit when he doubled home a pair of runs to grow his team's advantage to 3-0.
 
With Meyer rolling on the hill, Waynesburg added to its lead in the sixth thanks to a two-run homerun by Bernhardt. Bethany cracked the scoreboard in the top of the seventh with its first run of the game. However, the Yellow Jackets got the run right back in the bottom of the frame when Nordstrom singled in sophomore second baseman Tyler Reis.
 
Bethany picked up its final run of the game in the top of the ninth with a leadoff homerun. However, Meyer settled down and showed the mettle of a staff veteran by retiring the final three batters he faced, the third of which went down via a strikeout.
 
Mori and Bernhardt, who paced Waynesburg at the plate, collected six of the team's 11 base hits. Bernhardt went three-for-four with four RBI and a run scored. He came a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Mori posted a three-for-five effort with an RBI. Nordstrom added a two-for-three effort with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
The Jackets open their three-game series with Grove City on Friday at the Wolverines' home field. First pitch of the nine-inning contest is scheduled for 3 p.m.