AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 1) – The Waynesburg University baseball team opened the 2020 season by making its annual journey to the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational. The Yellow Jackets opened their run at the event on Sunday by splitting a doubleheader with Ohio Northern.
The Jackets (1-1) took game one 8-2 behind the power pitching of senior
Mason Miller (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park) and an opportunistic offensive effort.
Miller had a shutout working until there were two outs on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Polar Bears posted a two-spot on a homerun. Despite that hit, the senior standout performed like the 2019 first-team All-PAC performer he is. He allowed four hits and three walks while piling up 11 strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
The Jackets opened the scoring with a three-spot in the bottom of the second inning. They added a run in the bottom of the third, before posting their final four tallies in the bottom of the fourth. Those scores came on eight hits from seven different Waynesburg hitters, four walks and three hit batsmen.
Game two saw ONU score the first five runs of the game on its way to 6-3 victory. The Polar Bears tallied two runs in the bottom of the first, before the eventual game-inning scores came in the third. The Jackets got on the board with their first run of the late contest in the top of the sixth. The Bears answered with a run in the sixth, before Waynesburg rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, the comeback try came up short of fruition and the Jackets settled for a split.
The Jackets suffered the loss, despite outhitting ONU 9-7. Waynesburg was hurt by four errors that played a role in three unearned runs.
Sophomore
Cody Ray (St. Clairsville, Ohio / Union Local) got the start on the mound and gave up just two earned runs over five innings. Ray yielded seven base hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Sophomore
Corey Fischer (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bethel Park) tossed the final two frames gave up an earned run.
Senior infielder
Justin Buberl (Westminster, Md. / Westminster) went four-for-seven with a double and a walk during the split. Sophomore
Tyler Woodrow (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland) posted a three-for-eight day with a double. Junior
Ryan Mills (Westminster, Md. / Westminster) put up a two-for-five day with a walk and two RBI. Senior
Carter Uzzell (Fairfax, Va. / Bishop O'Connell) also drove in a pair of runs in the season-opening twin bill.
The Jackets are back on the diamond tomorrow when they face off with Concordia (Minn.) for a seven-inning doubleheader. First pitch from the early-morning series is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
