BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (April 15) – The young Yellow Jacket softball team made a trip to Geneva to face the defending Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champions. Waynesburg introduced itself as a contender for this year's conference postseason by splitting a hotly contested doubleheader with the Golden Tornadoes.
 
Waynesburg (17-6, 6-2) came up just short of victory in game one as it dropped an 8-7 final score to the host team (12-10, 2-4). The Jackets left town on a high note after rallying late to pull out an 8-6 victory in the late contest that snapped a five-game losing streak to the GT's.
 
The Jacket bats came out swinging by plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning of game one. Sophomore Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) opened the scoring with an RBI single that scored junior catcher Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa. / McGuffey). Brookman later came around to score after an error during the at-bat of junior Reghan Benschoter (Newark, Ohio / Granveille).
 
Geneva took a run back in the second, but the Jackets answered in style in the fourth when sophomore Sydney Senay (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) launched a two-run homer to grow her team's lead to 4-1. In the bottom of the inning, the Golden Tornadoes picked up a pair of unearned runs that made the score 4-3.
 
Momentum swung to Geneva's favor in the fifth, when it took advantage of some Waynesburg miscues in the pitching circle to score four runs and grab a 7-4 advantage. The thrilling back-and-forth contest took another turn in the top of the sixth, when the Jackets tied things back up with a three spot.
 
Senay logged her third RBI of the game with a double that plated Brookman. Sophomore Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands) helped manufacture her team's sixth run, when her groundout allowed Benschoter to sprint home. Waynesburg used a little luck to get its final run home. Freshman pitcher Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va. / Clay Battelle) reached base on a Geneva error that also allowed sophomore Kara May (Indian Head, Pa. / Connellsville) to tie the game.
 
Unfortunately, a pair of Waynesburg errors played a big role in the Geneva picking up the game-deciding tally in the bottom of the sixth. The Jackets looked primed to either tie things up or regain the lead after loading the bases with just one out on the board in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, a bizarre double play brought a surprising end to the early tilt.
 
Brookman and Senay paced the Waynesburg offense in the heart-breaking setback. They both went two-for-two at the dish, with Brookman scoring a game-high three runs and Senay recording a team-high three RBI's.
 
Wilson suffered the loss in the circle after allowing five earned runs over a complete game effort. She gave up eight hits and three walks, while striking out one.
 
Geneva looked like it would pick up the sweep on the day after jumping out to a 2-0 lead following two innings of play. Waynesburg broke up the shutout in the top of the third thanks to an RBI single from freshman Mackenzie Kearns (Elizabeth, Pa. / Elizabeth Forward). May followed in the fourth with a run-scoring bunt single.
 
The Golden Tornadoes regained the lead (5-2) with three runs in the fourth, but the Jackets counterpunched with two scores in the fifth thanks a run-scoring double from Brookman and an RBI groundout by Senay. Leading 5-4, Geneva grabbed another unearned run in the fifth. However, that was the last time a Golden Tornado base runner crossed home plate on the day.
 
Waynesburg took the lead for good in the sixth. The Jackets manufactured another run, this time on a groundout by Hunter, that made the score 6-5. The biggest hit of the afternoon came off the bat of Brookman, who belted a two-run doubled that plated Kearns and May and put the visitors up 7-6.
 
Wilson, who returned to the circle in relief work, gave her team some breathing room with an RBI single that sent sophomore Alayna McKay (Cochranton, Pa. / Cochranton) sprinting home.
 
Not only did Wilson come through at the plate, but she did the same in the circle, where she struck out the side in order to seal up the victory and bounce back from her rocky outing in the opener.
 
Brookman led Waynesburg at the plate by going three-for-four with three RBIs and a run scored. Kearns and Senay tallied two hits each as the Jackets tallied 12 total hits in game two.
 
Wilson improved to 9-3 on the year after working 2.2 dominant innings of relief. She didn't allow a hit or a walk while striking out four opposing hitters. The freshman lefty relieved Brookman, who gave up six runs, only two of which were earned, on six hits and five walks, while striking out three.
 
The Jackets overcame seven errors to score their latest triumph.
 
Waynesburg is scheduled to be back in action on Monday, April 18, when it hosts Grove City for a PAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.