WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 7) – The Waynesburg University baseball team struggled to get its bats going for the majority of Saturday's nine-inning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game against Chatham. Trailing 2-0 with its outs dwindling away, the Yellow Jackets found a way to force extra innings, where senior leftfielder Tyler Godwin (Bridgeville, Pa. / South Fayette) brought home the winning run in a 3-2 victory.
 
The win gave Waynesburg (14-12, 8-4) a season sweep of the Cougars (3-18, 0-9) and moved the Orange and Black into sole possession of second place in the league standings.
 
The usually potent Yellow Jacket offense, which came into the day ranked third in the PAC with 168 runs and second with 235 hits, was held at bay over eight innings, allowing Chatham to take a 2-0 lead on a pair of third-inning unearned runs.
 
By the time the game reached the bottom of the ninth, Waynesburg still found itself in a 2-0 hole. Junior second baseman Justin Buberl (Westminster, Md. / Westminster) led off with a walk. Junior pitcher/designated hitter Jonny Kutchman (Johnstown, Pa. / Richland) nearly tied the game as a deep drive to left-center field came up just short of leaving the park and tying the game. The fly out moved Buberl to second base.
 
Godwin followed with a single that put runners at the corers for sophomore pinch-hitter Brandon Durbin (Cresson, Pa. / Bishop Carroll), who came through with an RBI single that plated Buberl with the home team's first run and moved Godwin to third.
 
Two batters later, senior first baseman Jordan Kowalski (Butler, Pa. / Knoch) logged perhaps his biggest hit of the season when he hustled out an infield single that included him diving for first base to beat the throw. Godwin also showed off his effort by sprinting home to knot the score at 2-2.
 
Chatham managed to get out of the inning without yielding another run, but the damage was done and momentum was squarely behind the home team.
 
After posting another goose egg in the top of the 10^th, Waynesburg went back to the bat rack in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman catcher Tyler Woodrow (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland) got things started with a single that was followed by an error that allowed him to take second base. The Cougars decided to intentionally walk Buberl and a wild pitch put runners at second and third.
 
With a hole at first base, the visitors intentionally walked Kutchman, bringing Godwin back to the plate. The veteran outfielder managed to put the ball in play on a ground ball that was fielded and fired home, but not in time to get the sprinting Woodrow, who tallied the game-deciding score that set off a jubilant celebration that spilled onto the field and concluded with a dog pile on Godwin behind first base.
 
Kutchman and senior Colton Uzzell (Fairfax, Va. / Bishop O'Connell) put forth a fantastic combined effort on the mound. Kutchman started and allowed just the two unearned runs over seven innings. He allowed five hits and a walk, while recording four strikeouts.
 
Uzzell picked up the victory after working three innings of one-hit baseball. He gave up one walk and struck out two opposing hitters.
 
The Jackets are back in action on Tuesday, April 19, when they travel to Grove City for a PAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.