STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (May 2) – The Waynesburg University softball team wrapped up its 2020-21 season on Saturday with a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader at Franciscan. The Yellow Jackets were in position to win both contests, but left the Buckeye State on the wrong end of a sweep.
 
Waynesburg (12-24, 3-15) built a 6-0 lead going into the top of the sixth inning in game one, but gave up a seven-run bottom of the frame to drop a gut-wrenching 7-6 final score. Game two saw the Jackets take a 4-1 advantage into the bottom of the fourth, before the Barons (10-2-, 5-9) rebounded to pull out a 5-4 triumph.
 
Game one saw the Jackets get RBI base hits from sophomore Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa. / McGuffey), freshman Sydney Senay (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) and freshman Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands). Waynesburg added its final three runs in the six off two wild pitches and an error.
 
With victory seemingly assured, Franciscan drew off its senior day crowd to send seven runs across home plate in its half of the sixth. The Jackets didn't give up the fight and put a runner on second base with no outs in the top of the seventh. However, the home team's next three batters were retired in order to end the game.
 
Senior Emma Kubalak (Spring Mills, Pa. / Penns Valley) took the loss in her final collegiate appearance in the circle. She worked all seven innings in game one.
 
Senior Hannah Batovsky (New Salem, Pa. / Brownsville), Hunter and Senay tallied two hits each to pace Waynesburg in the opener.
 
Senior Kayla Alderson (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) got things going in the late contest with an RBI single in the top of the first to give her team an early 1-0 edge. After Franciscan answered with a score of its own in the bottom of the frame, Waynesburg built up a multi-run lead for a second-straight game.
 
Freshman Kara May (Indian Head, Pa. / Connellsville) got things going with an RBI single that made the score 2-1 in the second. May eventually made the score 3-1 when she sprinted home on a passed ball. The Jackets scored their final run of the season in the third, when junior Emily Schafer (Meyersdale, Pa. / Meyersdale) beat out an infield single that allowed Alderson to cross home plate.
 
Franciscan took advantage of a Waynesburg error to score a pair of unearned runs in the fourth that trimmed the Jacket advantage to 4-3. The Jackets forced Franciscan into a two-out situation in the sixth, but the Barons came up with a two-run base hit that brought about the eventual final score. The Jackets were retired in order in the top of the seventh to end the day.
 
Hunter, Alderson and Senay logged two hits each in game two to pace the offense. Freshman Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) worked all six innings of the late contest and allowed three earned runs on nine hits and three walks. She also racked up seven strikeouts in game two.