WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 16) – The Waynesburg University baseball team hosted Penn State Behrend on Wednesday for its 2022 home opener. The Yellow Jackets battled the Lions over nine innings and won an entertaining 4-2 matchup.
 
Senior pitcher Corey Fischer (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bethel Park) set the tone early for Waynesburg (3-6) by striking out the first batter he faced on the day and followed that up by completing a one-two-three top of the first. After putting Behrend (5-6) down in order for a second-straight frame, the Jacket bats warmed up in the bottom of the inning.
 
Sophomore third baseman Mike Bell (Herminie, Pa. / Yough) led off with a double and came around to score when freshman shortstop Todd Burner (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) slapped an RBI single. Sophomore first baseman Justin Clevenger (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette) kept things rolling with a walk. The visitors looked like they were going to limit the damage to a single tally, but senior catcher Tyler Woodrow (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland) came through in the clutch with a two-out run-scoring single that brought Burner home with the second run of the day.
 
Behrend finally got to Fischer for a pair of runs in the third, but the veteran right got out of the jam with a two-out strikeout that kept the scored tied at 2-2.
 
The middle third of the day turned into a pitchers' duel and the game was still knotted up at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth. The Orange and Black tallied what wound up being the game-winning run when Clevenger roped a two-out double and came around to score on an infield single by sophomore second baseman Nolan Vertullo (Pittsburgh, Pa. / South Fayette) that preceded a throwing error.
 
Already up 3-2, Waynesburg tacked on its insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Clevenger was hit by a pitch with two outs on the board. Vertullo legged out another single and freshman centerfielder Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) brought Clevenger home with an RBI single.
 
After Fischer was lifted following a quality seven-inning start, senior Joe Sabolek (Lynnwood-Pricedale, Pa. / Belle Vernon) got the final six outs of the game to record the save. After giving up a pair of walks in the eighth, Sabolek rebounded to get out of the jam and post a one-two-three ninth that included a strikeout.
 
Bell's two-double performance paced the Waynesburg offense, while Woodrow and Vertullo also logged two hits each in the win. The Jackets out-hit the opposition by a 10-5 margin on the day.
 
Fischer logged his second win of the young season after allowing two runs on five hits and no walks over seven innings of work. He also posted four strikeouts in his most recent decision.
 
Waynesburg will have little time to enjoy Wednesday's victory, which was its first against Behrend since 2016, a stretch of five contests, as they travel to Allegheny tomorrow for a 1 p.m. doubleheader with the Gators. The Jackets will play two in Meadville.