LATROBE, Pa. (April 20) – The Waynesburg University softball team traveled to Saint Vincent on Tuesday for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader. Unfortunately, the road trip wasn't a fruitful one, as the Yellow Jackets were swept by the Bearcats. Final scores of the games were 14-8, 6-3.
 
Tuesday's sweep was particularly disappointing considering the Jackets (11-17, 2-8) jumped out to a 7-0 lead after just an 1.5 innings. Sophomore Lauren Lober (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers'Houston) homered during the offensive outburst. Freshman Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands), senior Kayla Alderson (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston), sophomore Reghan Benschoter (Newark, Ohio / Granville) and freshman Sydney Senay (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) all drove in runs over the first two frames.
 
The Jacket lead shrunk to just a single run after Saint Vincent (11-14-1, 5-7) posted a three-spot in the second and three more in the third to make the score 7-6. Waynesburg re-established a multi-score advantage (8-6) thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Lober in the fourth.
 
From that point on, SVC controlled the remainder of the opener with two runs in the fifth that tied the score at 8-8. The game was decided in the bottom of the sixth with a six-spot that brought about the final score.
 
Lober and freshman Kara May (Indian Head, Pa. / Connellsville) paced the Jacket offense with three and two hits, respectively.
 
Game two saw the home team jump out to an early multi-run lead thanks to a three spot in the bottom of the first. Waynesburg cut the deficit down to a single run with a tally in the second and one more in the third. Senay recorded an RBI groundout, and freshman Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) drew a bases-loaded walk.
 
Once again, Saint Vincent was able to take control of the contest, this time putting up three runs in the third. The scoring subsided over the next three innings and the difference remained at 6-2 heading into the seventh.
 
A last-chance comeback try by the Yellow Jackets yielded one run when Benschoter brought home sophomore Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa. / McGuffey) with a groundout in the seventh. Unfortunately, that's as far as the rally went, and the Bearcats came away with the win.
 
After freshman starter Shay Giesey (Barnesville, Ohio / Monroe Central) allowed five runs over two innings, Waynesburg got its best pitching performance of the day from Brookman. The first-year righty yielded just a run on three hits and a walk over four innings.
 
Waynesburg is back in action on Friday, April 23, when it heads to Chatham to play two with the Cougars. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.