WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March 7) – The Waynesburg University baseball team bounced back from a loss in its first game with Emerson on Thursday with an impressive triumph in the late contest. The split came during the Yellow Jackets' fourth day at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
Though most of the Waynesburg (5-3) bats struggled in a 4-0 game one loss, senior third baseman Tyler Reis (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Penn Hills) put together a two-for-three day at the plate. Sophomore Tyler Srbinovich (Warren, Ohio / Niles McKinley) started on the mound and worked all seven innings. He gave up nine hits and two walks while racking up eight strikeouts.
 
The late contest, which ended in a 15-6 win, saw a breakout performance from freshman catcher Tyler Woodrow (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland), who struck with a two-run triple in the top of the first inning to give the Jackets a lead they never relinquished. Emerson (2-7) cut the lead in half with a score in the bottom of the frame.
 
Waynesburg dominated from that point on with a run in the second, three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take an 8-1 advantage. The Lions made a final push at victory when they pushed five runs across in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 8-6.
 
However, the Yellow Jackets were not going to be denied their fifth win of the year. The 12 batters that came to the plate produced seven runs in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Freshman Joe Sabolek (Lynnwood-Pricedale, Pa. / Belle Vernon) started and got his first collegiate win on the mound. He posted five outstanding innings in which he gave up just one run on four hits and five walks. Sabolek recorded four strikeouts in the start.
 
Freshman Corey Fischer (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bethel Park) and senior Colton Uzzell (Fairfax, Va. / Bishop O'Connell) combined to finish up the day. Uzzell logged a perfect seventh with two groundouts and a strikeout.
 
Seven Waynesburg hitters picked up at least one hit each in the win. Woodrow came a double shy of the cycle during a four-for-five effort with four RBI and three runs scored. He teed off on his second homerun of the season.
 
Four other Jacket hitters drove in two runs each, while five other players scored twice.
 
Waynesburg wraps up its stay in Florida with two games against John Carroll on Friday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.