WAYNESBURG, Pa. (May 4) – The Waynesburg University baseball team knew exactly what it had to do going into Thursday's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader against Grove City.
 
A sweep would clinch a spot in the upcoming PAC playoffs for either team. While neither opponent sealed up a spot in the postseason, both kept their championship hopes alive with a split in Waynesburg.
 
The Wolverines (16-17, 13-10) opened up a big lead in game one and held off a Yellow Jacket (18-20, 12-11) rally to pick up an 11-8 win. With its hopes for the postseason on the line, Waynesburg erased a 5-0 deficit and scored the next 14 runs en route to a 14-8 triumph.
 
Things started slowly for both offenses, as neither was able to score in the first two innings of game one. Unfortunately for the home team, GCC scored three runs in the third and another in the fourth to jump out to a 4-0 advantage.
 
Waynesburg responded with a two-spot in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI single by sophomore right fielder Mitch Nordstrom and a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Ben Miller. The Wolverine bats stayed hot, however, as Grove City plated four runs in the sixth to move ahead 8-2.
 
The Jackets answered the Wolverines' challenge in the bottom of the frame with one of their most impressive displays of power this year. Senior first baseman Jonathon Kletzli, senior third baseman Cameron Bernhardt and Miller all launched homeruns to plate four runs in the inning and again pull their squad to within just two runs of the lead (8-6). Bernhardt teed off on a two-run shot and Miller followed immediately after with a solo shot.
 
Grove City took some of the sting out of the power display by getting three of the runs back in the top of the seventh to move ahead 11-6. However, Waynesburg didn't give up the fight and sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame. Junior leftfielder Tyler Godwin cut the deficit to four with a sacrifice fly before Miller singled with the bases loaded and two outs on the board to pull his team within three runs of the opposition.
 
Unfortunately, the Jacket rally halted at that point and set up a must-win game two.
 
Senior Luke Carter started on the mound for the Jackets and suffered the loss, thanks in part to some very uncharacteristic defensive struggles. He allowed four runs, all unearned, on five hits and a walk over four innings of work. He struck out two and walked one opposing hitter. The Jackets committed five errors in the opener.
 
Waynesburg's season appeared to be slipping away over the first two and a half innings of game two. Grove City built up a 5-0 lead over that time and out-hit the home team 8-0 heading to the bottom of the third. That's when everything turned the Jackets' way.
 
Waynesburg exploded for nine runs on eight hits and two hit batsmen to grab a 9-5 advantage that it never relinquished over the remainder of the afternoon. In all, 12 Jackets came to the plate during the outburst, including sophomore second baseman Tyler Reis, who tied the game at 5-5 with his PAC-leading 10^th homerun of the season, which plated three Jacket scores.
 
The Orange and Black never looked back from that point on, as it added a run in the fourth and a four-spot in the sixth to build a 14-5 advantage. The Wolverines got three runs back in the top of the seventh, but the Jacket bullpen was able to quell the comeback try before things got too out of hand.
 
Speaking of the relief pitchers, junior Noah Lolley improved to 1-1 on the year after working 2.2 scoreless innings after replacing senior starter Derek Whalen. Lolley scattered two hits and three walks and recorded a strikeout in the win. Whalen lasted 2.2 innings and gave up the game's first five runs.
 
It was only appropriate that the Jacket offense was paced by three members of its senior class, which played its final game in front of its home crowd. Bernhardt went four-for-six with a homerun, three RBI and four runs scored. Miller added a four-for-seven day with a homer and a team-high six RBI. Kletzli also went four-for-seven with a pair of doubles, a long ball, two RBI and three runs scored. Nordstrom chipped in four hits of his own, which included a double, three RBI and four runs scored.
 
Waynesburg batted .397 for the day, slugged .651 and posted a .452 on-base percentage.
 
The same two teams are scheduled to face off tomorrow in Grove City. A Waynesburg win is its only way into the postseason. The Wolverines could still get into the playoffs with a loss, but would need Thiel to drop all three of its games in an upcoming series with Washington & Jefferson.