WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 20) – The Waynesburg University baseball team hosted the hard-hitting Phoenix of Wilson College for a doubleheader. The Yellow Jackets bounced back from a disappointing loss in game one for a gritty upset in game two.
 
Waynesburg (4-8) knew they had a tall test in front of them, as Wilson (10-4) was leading the nation in batting average (.401) across all NCAA divisions, as well as the NAIA. The Phoenix also came in averaging over 10 runs per game for the year and 17 runs per contest over a three-game winning streak. However, the Jackets limited the opposition to 14 total runs on Monday.
 
Game one opened with a pair of scoreless innings, before the Wilson bats showed their pop with a four-run top of the third inning. Waynesburg answered with its first score in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Bryce Bedilion (Clarksville, Pa. / Jefferson-Morgan) brought sophomore Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) sprinting home from third base with a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-1.
 
The Phoenix rebuilt a four-run lead after plating their fifth of the opener in the top of the fourth. However, Waynesburg was able to make its move by taking advantage of several Wilson miscues in the bottom of the inning. Two Jacket runs were scored on Wilson errors, while a third came across on a wild pitch.
 
The Orange and Black kept its deficit to just one run (5-4) through the fifth and sixth innings as the game moved into the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, the visitors rediscovered their offensive rhythm and plated three insurance tallies to bring about the eventual final score.
 
Junior third baseman Mike Bell (Herminie, Pa. / Yough) paced Waynesburg by going three-for-four at the plate with a run scored.
 
Sophomore Aidan Williams (Shaler, Pa. / Shaler) started and suffered the loss on the mound after allowing five runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits and two walks, while tallying two strikeouts. Five different Wilson pitchers combined to pick up the victory.
 
Game two did not get off to a strong start for the host team, as Wilson scored twice in the top of the first and twice more in the top of the third to jump ahead 4-0. Junior Lane Ours (Moorefield, W.Va. / Moorefield) got his team on the board with a bang by lifting a solo homerun over the left field fence in the bottom of the third.
 
One inning later, the Jackets again took what Wilson gave them to put runs on the board in the home half of the fourth. After opening the frame with back-to-back groundouts, Bell walked, Engelmore singled and junior Nolan Vertullo (Pittsburgh, Pa. / South Fayette) drew a base-on-balls to load the bases. Williams patiently worked the third walk of the inning to make the score 4-2. A pitching change didn't help matters for Wilson, as Ours produced his second big swing in as many at-bats with a bases-clearing double to left-center field that gave Waynesburg its first lead of the day at 5-4.
 
That advantage was short-lived, as Wilson brought home a pair of runs to make the score 6-5 in the top of the fifth. However, the Jackets weren't about to let the upset win slip away, as they were able to produce the eventual game-winning tallies in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Freshman Gavin Pratt (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels) led off and was hit by a pitch. Bedilion then stepped to the plate and drilled an RBI triple that tied the score at 6-6. After another pitching change, both senior Todd Burner (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) and Bell were hit by pitches to pack the bags with Yellow Jackets. Another free pass, this time an Engelmore walk, sent Bedilion strolling home with the go-ahead run.
 
Unfortunately, a strikeout followed by an inning-ending double play halted Waynesburg's rally. Luckily, it was just enough offense for freshman pitcher Dalton Lucey (Holbrook, Pa. / West Greene), who shut down the powerful Phoenix offense to preserve the win.
 
Lucey gave up just one hit and didn't walk a batter over 2.1 innings of work en route to picking up his first collegiate victory on the mound. Bedilion got the start on the bump and gave up six runs, all earned, on eight hits and two walks, while recording four strikeouts in a no decision.
 
The Jackets scratched out the win, despite collecting just five hits and four walks. Bedilion and Ours collected two hits each, while seven different Waynesburg hitters each crossed home plate one time.
 
Waynesburg is off until Wednesday, March 22, when it travels to Wittenberg for another non-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader. Frist pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.