MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Feb. 28) – Offense was the order of the day for the Waynesburg University softball team, as it competed in a triple-header at the Fast Pitch Dreams Spring Classic. The Yellow Jackets tallied 28 runs as they posted a 2-1 mark on the day.
Waynesburg (2-1) rocketed out of the gate with an 18-1 win over the University of Northern Vermont-Johnson (1-8) that lasted five innings. After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, the Jackets tallied two runs in the top of the second and never relinquished the lead from that point forward. Freshman
Jessica Rothka (Eighty Four, Pa. / Bentworth) brought home freshman
Kiana Bagnell (Inwood, W.Va. / Musselman).
Waynesburg removed any doubt of who would be the victors in the opener after plating 10 runs in the third inning. Freshman
Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va. / Clay Battelle) logged four RBI's in the offensive outburst, three of which came on a bases-clearing double. Sophomore
Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) produced a two-run single in the big half-inning.
Waynesburg closed things out with its final six runs in the top of the fifth. Rothka tallied two more RBI's during the Jackets' final half-inning at the plate.
Sophomore
Kara May (Indian Head, Pa. / Connellsville), junior
Reghan Benschoter (Newark, Ohio / Granville) and Wilson recorded three hit each. Brookman and Benschoter tallied a game-high three runs each in the Jackets' first win of the season.
Sophomore
Kayla Gratton (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) got the start in the circle and picked up the win after allowing one run on five hits, four of which were singles, and no walks. She posted three strikeouts in the victory.
Game two was a non-conference matchup against Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) rival Grove City. The two familiar opponents battled in tightly contested showdown, with the Wolverines taking a 4-3 victory with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh.
The Wolverines struck first with a two-spot in the bottom of the second inning, but Waynesburg answered back immediately with a pair of scores in the top of the third. Brookman drilled an RBI double, before scoring from second thanks to an RBI single by sophomore third baseman
Sydney Senay (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan).
Grove City regained its advantage after scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third. The Jackets responded yet again in the top of the sixth, this time thanks to a sacrifice fly by Brookman that allowed junior second baseman
Lauren Lober (Houston, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) to sprint home and knot the score at 3-3.
Unfortunately, Grove City ended the entertaining matchup with an unearned run that sprinted home thanks to a Waynesburg error in the bottom of the seventh.
Waynesburg took the loss despite outhitting Grove City by a 12-2 margin. The Jackets were hampered by six walks and a hit batsman given up by Wilson, who made her first collegiate start in the circle. Wilson also racked up seven strikeouts.
The Jackets ended day two of their stay in the Palmetto State by gritting out a 7-6 triumph over Widener (1-1).
Waynesburg struck first with a two-spot in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore first baseman
Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands) got things going with a fielder's choice RBI before coming around to a score on an RBI double by Senay.
The Pride bounced back in a big way with a four-spot in the third grab a 4-2 edge. The Jackets had one more big inning up their sleeves by plating three runs in the bottom of the frame. Bliss, Gratton and freshman
Mackenzie Kearns (Elizabeth, Pa. / Elizabeth Forward) all logged RBI's to give the Orange and Black a 5-4 lead.
Again, the Pride answered the Jackets' challenge, this time by putting up two runs in the top of the fourth. However, Waynesburg got the last laugh in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI single by Bliss and a run-scoring double by Rothka.
After offense dominated the first four innings, neither team was able to score over the final three frames. Brookman settled down after a rocky start to go to 1-0 on the young season in the circle. She allowed six runs, all earned, on 10 hits and three walks. She posted a pair of strikeouts in the victory.
The Yellow Jackets are back on the diamond on Tuesday, March 1, with a rematch against Grove City. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.
