KISSIMEE, Fla. (March 5) -- The Waynesurg University softball notched an exhilarating come-from-behind 5-3 win over previously unbeaten Muskingum University in 10 innings Tuesday afternoon at The Spring Games.
Tied at 2 in the 10th inning,
Katelynn Britenbaugh (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler) was called on to pinch hit, and she delivered with a big opposite-field base knock to move
Sydney Waryanka (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) to third.
Dilyn Roberts (Sellersburg, Ind. / Henryville) pinch ran for Britenbaugh and promptly stole second to put runners at second and third with no outs for the Yellow Jackets (2-1, 0-0 PAC).
Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands) knocked a grounder to short and beat the throw out as the first baseman came off the bag to try and cut Roberts off at third.
Kayla Gratton (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) drove a double to right to bring in Roberts then
Kassidy Trimble (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) produced a sacrifice fly to score Bliss and give the Jackets a 5-2 edge.
The Muskies (5-1, 0-0 OAC) added a run in the tenth and threatened further, bringing the tying run to the dish, but
Autumn Stemple (Morgantown, W.Va. / University) prevailed to seal the 5-3 win.
Stemple went the distance, allowing just six hits and three unearned runs while walking five and striking out two to get her first win of the year.
Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) brought home Trimble on a sac fly in the ninth to give the Jackets a 2-1 edge.
The Muskies had runners on second and third with one out in the ninth as an RBI single to left tied things at 2. Muskingum, looking to steal the win on the bases, gave the runner from second the green light home but soon regretted that decision as Waryanka fielded the ball and made a one-hop strike to
Alyssa Rager (Washington, Pa. / Trinity) who tagged the runner out to preserve the 2-2 deadlock.
It was a pitchers dual for most of the afternoon as Stemple and Tareyn Born limited each sides respective offenses to three total hits through five innings.
The Muskies led 1-0 til the sixth inning as Gratton reached on a error to start the inning and eventually scored on a
Trinity Edge (Franklin, Pa. / Franklin) base knock to tie things at 1. Stemple retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth and stranded a pair of base runners in the seventh to send the game to extras. Stemple escaped a bases loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the eighth to keep the Orange and Black alive.
Gratton was 2-for-4 with 1 one RBI and 1 run scored. Brookman went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Bliss finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, 1 run and walk.
The Jackets return to the diamond Thursday when they take on #1 Trine at 9 a.m. and Bethany Lutheran at 1:30 p.m. from Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont, Fla.
