WAYNESBURG, Pa. (April 6) – The Waynesburg University baseball team hosted Thiel on Wednesday for the deciding game of the teams' three-game season series. Those in attendance were treated to a back-and-forth battle that went into extra innings without a winner. Thanks to a walk-off single from senior Cody Ray (St. Clairsville, Ohio / Union Local) in the bottom of the 11^th, the Yellow Jackets were able to celebrate a 9-8 victory.
 
Thanks to a great start, Waynesburg (7-13, 3-5) looked like it would make quick work of the Tomcats (8-11, 4-5). Sophomore starting pitcher Justin Clevenger (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette) shut out the opposition through the first three innings with just a walk and a single allowed, while the bats gave him a 3-0 lead.
 
The Jackets manufactured a pair of runs in the first thanks in part to senior catcher Tyler Woodrow (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland), who produced a sacrifice fly RBI. A run-scoring groundout by freshman right fielder Aidan Williams (Shaler, Pa. / Shaler) made it 2-0. The home team tacked on its third score in the second when graduate student first baseman Brandon Durbin (Cresson, Pa. / Bishop Carroll) brought Woodrow home with a sac fly to center.
 
The game's momentum took a big swing in the top of the fourth, as Thiel proceeded to score the next eight runs of the game. The Tomcats put up two in the fourth, tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth and appeared to take control of the contest in the top of the seventh with a five spot.
 
Waynesburg showed its composure in the next half-inning by clawing back into the conference tilt with three runs of its own, once again doing so by manufacturing offense. After putting runners at second and third with no outs, Williams logged his second RBI groundout of the day. He was followed by freshman infielder Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler), who also plated a score with groundout that cut the Thiel advantage to 8-5.
 
With two outs on the board, Ray, who entered the game in the top of the seventh to play second base, smacked a double to continue the rally. Sophomore Mike Bell (Herminie, Pa. / Yough) followed with a seeing eye single up the middle that pulled his team to within two runs of the lead at 8-6.
 
The Tomcats were able to stop the rally at that point and neither team scored in the eighth. Engelmore, who took the mound in relief during the seventh, guided his team through a scoreless top of the ninth and gave the Jackets a chance in the bottom of the inning.
 
Williams got things going with a walk and moved to second on an Engelmore single. After Thiel picked up an out, Bell produced the game's biggest hit: a two-run triple down the right field line that tied the score at 8-8. The Tomcats extended the game with back-to-back outs that halted the Jacket rally and the three-hour, 40-minute contest stretched into the 10^th inning.
 
The Cats got a leadoff single and eventually moved the runner to third, but Waynesburg stranded the go-ahead run 90 feet shy of home plate. The Jackets went down in order in their half of the 10^th, before Engelmore shook off a walk to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the 11^th.
 
Williams struck another big blow for the victors with a leadoff double. After Engelmore sacrifice bunted his former high school teammate over to third, Ray sent Waynesburg and its fans home happy with the walk-off knock.
 
Bell played a key role at the plate for the Jackets by going three-for-five with three runs scored. He came a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. Durbin went two-for-five with a double and a single, while Ray went two-for three off the bench with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
Engelmore improve to 2-4 on the mound after tossing 4.2 innings of relief. He allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out a pair of Tomcats.
 
The Jacket defense did not give up an error over 11 innings of action.
 
Waynesburg returns to the diamond on Saturday, April 9, when it hosts PAC powerhouse Washington & Jefferson for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 1 p.m.