MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (March 7) – The Waynesburg University softball team opened the 2019 season with a pair of games at the Fast Pitch Dreams Spring Classic. The Yellow Jackets fell to both Penn State Abington and the University of Mary Washington on Thursday.
 
Game one saw the Jackets (0-2) drop a 12-1 final score to the Lions. Waynesburg scored its first run of the season in the fourth inning when senior leftfielder Cat Allstatt (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) crossed home plate when Abington's (1-4) catcher tried and failed to throw out freshman courtesy runner Emily Schafer (Meyersdale, Pa. / Meyersdale) while she stole second base.
 
Senior first baseman Alex Lawrence (Bridgeville, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) doubled in her final opening day as a Jacket.
 
Game two saw the Orange and Black offense explode for nine runs on 13 hits. Unfortunately, the Eagles (4-3) were one run better as they pulled out a 10-9 triumph.
 
Waynesburg opened things up with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Junior catcher Rachel Skon (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brashear) got things rolling by doubling in junior centerfielder Courtney Syfert (Johnstown, Pa. / Richland). Two batters later, Skon crossed home plate when sophomore designated player Christina Baker (Keedysville, Md. / Boonsboro) reached on an error.
 
After giving up a two-run lead, Mary Washington forged one of its own with a score in the second and three more in the third, moving it ahead 4-2. Another Eagle error led to two Jackets runs in the fourth to tie the score at 4-4.
 
A tally in the fourth moved UMW back ahead (5-4), but three runs in the fifth gave the Jackets a 7-5 advantage. UMW fired back with three in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a 10-7 edge into the top of the seventh.
 
After its first two batters were retired, Waynesburg got an RBI single from Allstat and a run-scoring double from Skon that cut the deficit to one and advanced the tying run to third base. Unfortunately, the Jacket comeback came up just short as the Eagles managed to pick up the final out and end the contest.
 
Schafer and Lawrence tied for the team lead with three hits each on the day. Schafer also tied with Syfert for most runs scored by a Jacket (3). Skon logged a team-best two RBI, while Syfert and sophomore Hannah Batovsky (New Salem, Pa. / Brownsville) each stole two bases.
 
Sophomore Emma Kubalak (Spring Mills, Pa. / Penns Valley) got the start in the pitching circle for both contests. She worked 11 total innings and gave up five earned runs for a 3.18 ERA.
 
The Jackets face a busy day on the diamond on Friday when they play three games, the first of which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. against the Wentworth Institute of Technology.