WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Feb. 23) – The Waynesburg University baseball team took advantage of unseasonably warm, sunny weather on Thursday to open the 2023 season with a home a doubleheader against La Roche. Though the Yellow Jackets dropped both ends of the twin bill against the Redhawks, there was plenty of positives to take from the day.
La Roche (2-1) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of game one, but the Jackets (0-2) bounced back to tie the score in the bottom of the frame. Freshman
Gavin Pratt (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels) drove in the Jackets' first run of the season in his first at-bat in Orange and Black. Pratt singled home sophomore
Bryce Bedilion (Clarksville, Pa. / Jefferson-Morgan) to tie the score at 1-1.
After a scoreless second inning, La Roche regained the lead with three runs in the top of the third and expanded its advantage to 7-1 with another three in the top of the fourth.
Waynesburg bounced back in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single by junior
Nolan Vertullo (Pittsburgh, Pa. / South Fayette) that brought home senior
Todd Burner (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South).
The Redhawks got the run back with a homerun in the fifth, but Waynesburg was able to stage one last comeback try in its own half of the frame. Once again, Vertullo came through with runners on base, this time doubling home a pair of runs to make the score 8-4. He came around to score during the next at-bat, thanks to a single by junior
Lane Ours (Moorefield, W. Va. / Moorefield).
The Jackets put two runners on in the bottom of the sixth with just one out on the board, but couldn't add to their run total, allowing La Roche to pick up an 8-5 win.
Sophomore
Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) got the start on the mound and suffered the loss after allowing seven runs over four innings of work. Freshman
Dalton Lucey (Holbrook, Pa. / West Greene) was solid in his collegiate debut on the mound. He gave up just one run on one hit and one walk, while also logging his first strikeout over three full innings of relief work.
After a scoreless first inning in game two, La Roche took a 3-0 lead in the second. Waynesburg got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Pratt and a sacrifice fly by junior
Mike Bell (Herminie, Pa / Yough).
The Redhawks appeared to take firm control of the game after plating six in the top of the fourth. However, this year's Orange and Black showed its mettle with a spirited comeback that allowed it to take its first lead of the day.
Ours brought in one run with a single in the fourth, before the Jackets exploded for a seven-spot in the fifth. Bell got things going by doubling in Pratt. Sophomore
Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) brought Bell home with a double of his own. Two batters later, Burner launched his team's first homerun of the season, a three-run blast that made the score 9-8.
The Jackets kept things going with back-to-back singles by sophomore
Seth Burgdolt (Taylorstown, Pa. / McGuffey) and freshman
Hunter Hamilton (Holbrook, Pa. / West Greene). Bedilion followed with a clutch two-out, two-run single that nudged the home team ahead 10-9.
Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived thanks to a sixth-inning solo homerun by La Roche that knotted things up at 10-10. Waynesburg loaded the base with two outs in the bottom of the frame, but couldn't regain the advantage.
The Redhawks tallied the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh, and made it stand up for an 11-10 victory by putting the Jackets down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Pratt made his first collegiate start on the mound and took a no-decision after allowing eight runs over three innings of work. Freshman
Ethan Erhard (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) suffered the loss despite a solid debut. Erhard yielded three runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits and no walks. He also piled up four strikeouts over four innings of work.
Pratt was impressive at the plate in his first collegiate appearance. He went four-for-eight with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Burner and Bedilion tallied three hits each on the day, while Engelmore, Hamilton, Ours and Vertullo posted a pair of hits each.
Waynesburg's offensive balance was further illustrated by seven different players scoring two runs each on the day.
The Jackets are off until Sunday, March 5, when they travel to Winter Haven, Florida, to make their annual trip to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. They are scheduled to play six games over seven days, with the first coming on March 5 against Clark. Start time is scheduled for 9 a.m.
