WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 6) – The Waynesburg University softball team opened its 2020-21 season on Saturday by hosting Chatham for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader. After dropping the opener, the Yellow Jackets came out on top of a pitchers' duel in game two.
Chatham (2-2, 2-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of game one. Waynesburg (1-1, 1-1) tied the game up in the bottom of the second when sophomore second baseman
Lauren Lober (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) singled in freshman shortstop
Kayla Gratton (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway).
The Cougars regained the lead with a two-spot in the top of the third, before Gratton cut the deficit back to a run (3-2) with an RBI single that plated freshman first baseman
Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston). The visitors put game one out of reach by posting three runs in the top of the fifth and four more in the top of the sixth to go ahead 10-2.
Waynesburg closed the scoring in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore catcher
Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa. / McGuffey) connected on a sacrifice fly that allowed Lober to cross home plate and bring about the final score of 10-3.
Three different Jackets recorded multiple hits in the early contest. Lober logged a three-for-three effort at the dish, while Brookman and Gratton each notched a single and a double.
Senior
Emma Kubalak (Spring Mills, Pa. / Spring Valley) got the start in the circle and suffered the loss after allowing seven earned runs over seven innings. She struck out five and walked four while giving up 15 hits.
Game two was a much more tightly contested affair as Brookman moved to the circle and squared off with Chatham's Kayla Gee, a graduate transfer from Division II Lock Haven who was a former first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) selection. Brookman matched Gee pitched for pitch in a 3-2 victory for Waynesburg.
Brookman scattered eight hits, all singles, and one walk, while striking out five to pick up her first Jacket win in the circle. She also singled and stole two bases.
Waynesburg took a 1-0 lead when Gratton contributed again at the plate, this time knocking an RBI groundout that brought home freshman first baseman
Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands).
Brookman made that lead stand up until the bottom of the sixth, when the home team's advantage grew to 2-0 when Bliss struck again, this time singling home Hunter.
The Chatham bats finally got to Brookman in the top of the seventh, when the visitors tied the score at 2-2. However, the Jackets weren't about to end the long, cold day winless. In the bottom of the frame, Waynesburg put runners of first and second with one out on the board for Hunter. The standout back-stopper came through in the clutch with a walk-off single that set off a Jacket celebration.
Hunter and Bliss both went two-for-three in the victory, with the latter drilling a triple as part of a seven-hit output for the host squad.
Waynesburg will play games three and four of its opening weekend when Thiel comes to town Sunday for another PAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
