BETHANY, W.Va. (April 30) – The Waynesburg University baseball team wrapped up its season series with Bethany after playing a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader on Saturday. After dropping a 5-4 decision in game one, the Yellow Jackets rebounded with an 8-7 victory in game two to take the series 2-1.
 
Waynesburg (12-24, 8-16) opened the day's scoring in the top of the first inning of the opener. Graduate student Chris Lee (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park) did the honors with a fielder's choice RBI. Bethany (16-21, 8-16) answered back with a run in the bottom of the frame.
 
The second inning played out in a similar fashion to the first, as freshman Bryce Bedilion (Clarksville, Pa. / Jefferson-Morgan) connected on an RBI groundout that put his team up 2-1. Once again, the Bison answered with a tally in the bottom half.
 
After a scoreless third inning, the two teams traded scores yet again in the fourth. This time, it was freshman Tyler Sullivan (Wesley Chapel, Fla. / Wesley Chapel) who did the honors thanks to an RBI double. Bethany knotted the score up at 3-3 during its half of the fourth, before taking its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Jackets responded in the top of the sixth, when senior Cody Ray (St. Clairsville, Ohio / Union Local) grounded out to second base, allowing sophomore Mike Bell (Herminie, Pa. / Yough) to sprint home with the game-tying run. After Bethany regained the lead with the game's final run in the bottom of the sixth, the Jackets put the game-tying run on the bases thanks to a single from senior Tyler Woodrow (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland). Unfortunately, back-to-back strikeouts gave the Bison the game-one victory.
 
Woodrow, Bell and Sullivan tallied two hits each to accumulate all but one of Waynesburg's seven hits in the opener. Sullivan logged a pair of doubles, while Woodrow and Bell picked up one two-bagger each. Bell also scored a pair of runs.
 
Freshman Aidan Williams (Shaler, Pa. / Shaler) started and took the loss on the mound after allowing five runs, all earned, over 5.1 innings of work. He yielded seven hits and two walks, while striking out four.
 
Game two was just as exciting as the opener, and began with a scoreless first inning. Bethany broke up the brief 0-0 tie with a run in the bottom of the second inning. The two teams resumed their back-and-forth battling after Waynesburg tied things up in the top of the third. Freshman Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) did the honors with a run-scoring triple.
 
Bethany regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the third. The Yellow Jackets took their first lead of the contest with a two spot in the top of the fourth. Junior shortstop Todd Burner (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) ripped a triple of his own that made the score 2-2. Freshman Seth Burgdolt (Claysville, Pa. / McGuffey) followed with a sacrifice fly that allowed Burner to cross home plate with the go-ahead tally.
 
Bethany matched the Jackets with two runs of its own in the bottom of the forth that moved it back into the lead at 4-3. After Waynesburg knotted things back up with an Engelmore RBI single, another pair of runs scored by the Bison, this time in the bottom of the fifth, put them ahead 6-4.
 
The Jackets got some help with their fifth run when Bell drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth that cut their deficit in half. Once again, Bethany played a role in the Waynesburg offense, as a costly error following a single from sophomore Lane Ours (Moorefield, W.Va. / Moorefield) allowed two Jacket runs to score and put Waynesburg ahead 7-6.
 
The eventual game-winning score was recorded in the top of the ninth, as Engelmore capped a fantastic effort at the plate with an RBI double that put his team ahead 8-6. Bethany had a golden opportunity to at least extend the contest into extra innings after loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the frame. After pushing one run in during a fielder's choice, the Bison grounded into the game's final out to allow Waynesburg to record the split.
 
Both teams tallied 10 hits in game two. Engelmore accounted for almost half of Waynesburg's base knocks as he went an impressive four-for-six with two singles, a double, a triple and three RBIs. Six of his teammates tallied one knock each in the winning effort.
 
Engelmore improved to a team-best 5-4 on the mound after picking up the pitching win in relief. He allowed one run on two hits and two walks over 2.1 innings after coming out of the bullpen to replace Bedilion, who got the start. The freshman lefty gave the Jackets 5.1 innings, during which he allowed six runs, five of which were earned, on eight hits, three walks and an impressive eight strikeouts. Bell earned his team-best second save after retiring two of the three batters he faced, both on groundouts.
 
The Jackets begin their season-ending three-game series with PAC opponent Chatham on Saturday, May 7. First pitch for the conference doubleheader is scheduled to be thrown at 1 p.m.