NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (May 8) – Before the start of the 2022 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) tournament earlier this week, the Waynesburg University softball team had already put together one of the finest seasons in program history. After taking down Bethany and Westminster, the tournament's top seed and host, the Yellow Jackets advanced to the conference title game for the first time since 2008.
After being delayed by weather for two days, the Yellow Jackets finally got their shot at hoisting the PAC championship trophy for the first time since 1993. After waiting 29 years, and the two extra rainy days, the program's long wait finally ended, as the Jackets knocked off the Titans on their home field for a third time in four meetings, this time by way of a 3-1 victory.
"I think it is something that I thought might happen this year when we got on a roll," said Waynesburg head coach
Brett Shimek. "These young ladies believe in themselves and they thought they could win this thing and they did. We wanted to be in the PAC tournament and we thought we could make some noise."
As she has done all season, freshman pitcher Syndey Wilson (Pentress, W.Va. / Clay Battelle) shined in the circle and led her team to its biggest win in three decades. The first-year lefty, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, was once again able to shut down Westminster's (31-6) powerful lineup. She scattered seven singles, one double and one walk to improve to 18-4 on the year in the circle. Wilson piled up six strikeouts in her latest victory.
She saved some of her best work for the Titans, who sport a PAC-best .382 batting average and a conference-best 275 runs scored. Over three games against Westminster, Wilson went 3-0 with four total runs allowed.
"All the teams at the PAC tournament were really good teams. Our hats go off to Westminster for a great season," Shimek said. "They gave us two great battles in the tournament. Bethany gave us a heck of a game, as well."
Not surprisingly, the contest began as a pitchers' duel, as Wilson faced off with a Titans pitching staff that boasts a league-low 1.71 ERA. After five scoreless innings, the Jackets finally broke through against Westminster star hurler Madison Brown in the top of the sixth, and they did it all after their first two batters were retired.
Junior catcher
Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa. / McGuffey) got things started with a single. Sophomore designated player
Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) capped an outstanding tournament with an RBI double that gave the Jackets a 1-0 edge. Junior leftfielder
Reghan Benschoter (Newark, Ohio / Granville) followed with what turned out to be the game-winning hit: a double of her own that allowed Brookman to sprint home and make the score 2-0.
Waynesburg added a valuable insurance run thanks to sophomore
Sydney Senay (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan), who singled in Benschoter and extended the Jacket advantage to 3-0. Sophomore first baseman
Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands) followed with a single and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with two outs on the board. However, Westminster was able to get the final out of the frame.
The Titans scored their only run in the bottom of the sixth. After Waynesburg went down in order in the top of the seventh, Westminster produced a leadoff double to put the tying run at the plate, but the Jackets buckled down and showed the toughness that carried the young team through a long, challenging season. Wilson got out number one with a strikeout and freshman centerfielder
Mackenzie Kearns (Elizabeth, Pa. / Elizabeth Forward) hauled in a fly ball for our number two. Senay then got the honors of sealing the historic win by calmly fielding a grounder at third, firing across the diamond to Bliss and setting off the Jacket celebration.
"I think of the team that we have, the 17 young ladies, and I was just excited for them. They are an easy team to coach," Shimek said. "They all get along. They all compete against each other, but they want the best for each other. They are all team-first players and they just want the team to be successful."
Hunter and Brookman paced the Jacket offense with two hits each.
After the conclusion of the title game Brookman, Senay and Benschoter joined Wilson as members of the all-tournament team. Brookman was almost unstoppable at the plate, as she boasted the top batting average of any player in the field (.667). Her 1.111 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage were also tops for the tournament.
Sunday's win also means Waynesburg's season has not yet ended, as it earned the PAC's automatic qualification for the NCAA Division III national championship tournament. The 2022 NCAA DIII selection show will air live on ncaa.com at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 9. The complete bracket for the event will be posted at ncaa.com immediately after the online webcast.
"I'm just so grateful for Waynesburg University and its support," Shimek said. "If they hadn't gotten us into our current facility with a top-of-the-line artificial playing surface, we probably would have missed out on eight to 10 games because of poor weather. Our schedule held true because of that facility. Chaplain (Josh) Sumpter came down and prayed with us this morning, and President Lee and his wife came and saw us off at the bus. I also want to thank Provost Baer, (Director of Athletics)
Adam Jack and (Assistant Athletic Director) Randy Pettit for coming to the game. The leadership at Waynesburg has supported us all year and I can't thank them enough."
