WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 19) – The Waynesburg University softball team battled atrocious weather conditions and a feisty Grove City squad during a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader on Tuesday. While dealing with rain, blustery winds and spring snow flakes, the Yellow Jackets took game one 11-2 (five innings), before dropping a heart-breaking 7-6 final score in the late contest.
 
Waynesburg (18-7, 7-3), which served as the visiting team for the twin bill due to a rescheduling, struck first in the opener with a run in the top of the second. Freshman starting pitcher Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va. / Clay Battelle) doubled home sophomore third baseman Sydney Senay (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) to give the host squad a 1-0 lead.
 
The Wolverines (11-13, 5-5) answered with a two-spot in the bottom of the second to take their only lead of the contest, which lasted until the next half-inning. Waynesburg regained the advantage in the top of the third thanks to a sacrifice fly RBI from junior outfielder Reghan Benschoter (Newark, Ohio / Granville) that plated freshman outfielder Mackenzie Kearns (Elizabeth, Pa. / Elizabeth-Forward) and tied the game at 2-2. Senay put her team up for good with an RBI single that allowed junior catcher Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa. / McGuffey) to cross home plate and make the score 3-2.
 
Looking for some insurance in the top of the fourth, Waynesburg accomplished that goal and more as it sent 12 batters to the dish and scored eight runs, all after its leadoff hitter was retired. Kearns put together an inning to remember as she went two-for-two with a single, a double, two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base. Benschoter recorded a two-run double in the breakout frame, as did sophomore shortstop Kayla Gratton (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway). The Jackets were helped out by four walks and three wild pitches.
 
A nine-run cushion was more than enough for Wilson, who picked up her 10^th win of the season after a five-inning complete game. She allowed just four singles and two walks while striking out four.
 
The Jackets outhit Grove City 10-4 in the opener, with Kearns picking up a game-high three knocks. Senay added a pair of base hits. Of Waynesburg's 10 hits, five of them were doubles.
 
Game two got off to a similar start as Grove City scored first, but the Jackets pieced together the first multi-run advantage of the contest. After the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the opening inning, Waynesburg answered a with a four spot in the top of the second.
 
Senay struck again, this time with an RBI double. Kearns followed with Waynesburg's biggest hit of the day, this time coming through in the clutch with a bases-clearing single that put the Orange and Black ahead 4-1.
 
After Grove City got two back in its half of the second, Wilson poked an RBI single back up the middle that plated sophomore Alayna McKay (Cochranton, Pa. / Cochranton) and made the score 5-3. Grove City tied things up on a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, but sophomore Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) gave the Jackets the lead back at 6-5 with an RBI groundout in the fourth.
 
Unfortunately, Wilson, who entered the circle in relief of the starting pitcher Brookman, couldn't hold the slim advantage, as the Wolverines tied the score 6-6 in the sixth and walked off with the win in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Brookman led the Jackets at the plate in game two with a pair of hits, including a double. Six different Waynesburg players recorded at least one hit in the late contest.
 
Wilson suffered the loss in relief after allowing two runs, only one of which were earned, on six hits and two walks over four innings. She added two strikeouts to her season total. Brookman got the start and gave up five runs, all earned on seven hits and two walks over two frames.
 
Waynesburg continues a busy week on Thursday, April 21, when it hosts Saint Vincent for another conference twin bill. First pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 3:30 p.m.