NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (May 6) – The Waynesburg University softball team took to the field at top-seeded Westminster Saturday afternoon looking for a second-straight Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) title. The second-seeded Yellow Jackets never trailed, as they defeated the Titans 6-3 to take the gold.
 
Waynesburg (29-8) became the first team to win back-to-back PAC softball crowns since former conference member Thomas More did it in 2017 and 2018. The Jackets have gotten very comfortable at the Titans' home field when it comes to postseason play, having won six-straight at Westminster, four coming against the host squad.
 
After reaching Saturday's title game by downing Westminster 9-2 in Friday's Game F, Waynesburg jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After the first two Yellow Jackets were retired, senior Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa. / McGuffey) singled to keep the inning alive. Junior Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Charters-Houston) followed with an RBI double to open the scoring. Brookman wasn't on base long, as junior Sydney Senay (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) brought her home with a run-scoring single.
 
The score remained 2-0 until the top of the fifth, when sophomore Grace Higgins (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) teed off on a solo homerun in the top of the fifth to stretch the Orange and Black's lead to 3-0. It was Waynesburg's first long ball of the tournament and just the third homer of the eight-game event.
 
Westminster got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, but the Jackets answered the Titans' challenge by scoring three times in the top of the seventh. Junior Kayla Gratton (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) started things off with a single. Two batters later, Higgins singled and a fielder's choice hit into by Hunter put runners on the corners. Brookman rebuilt her team's three-run advantage with what wound up being a game-winning RBI single that plated Gratton. Senay came up big again with a two-run double that put the Jackets ahead 6-1.
 
To Westminster' credit, it didn't go away quietly in front of its very verbal home crowd. The Titans scored to make it 6-2, but the Jackets bounced back by logging a pair of outs. Another hit by the home team made the score 6-3, but sophomore starting pitcher Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va. / Clay-Battelle) showed her mental toughness and composure by recording her sixth strikeout of the game, which set off a joyous celebration in the circle.
 
Wilson ran her PAC-best win total to 17 victories on the pitching rubber (17-4) after allowing two earned runs on 11 hits and no walks. She was named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament for a second-straight year.
 
Gratton did an excellent job as the nine hitter and went three-for-three to pace the Jackets' 11-hit showing. Higgins, Brookman and Senay recorded two hits in the victory.
 
Waynesburg feasted on Westminster pitching during its two victories over the top-seeded Titans in this year's tournament. The Jackets scored 15 runs in those wins and piled up 29 hits.
 
After the game's conclusion, Hunter, Brookman and freshman pitcher Autumn Stemple (Morgantown, W.Va ./ University) joined Wilson on the all-tournament team. Waynesburg is the first team since 2012 to have two different pitchers record complete-game wins and be named to the all-tournament team.
 
With the win, Waynesburg earned the PAC's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III national tournament. The Yellow Jackets are expected to learn where they will start their tournament run on Monday, May 15. The event itself is scheduled to get underway on Friday, May 19.