BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (April 13) – The Waynesburg University softball team posted a 7-6, 10-inning victory, at Geneva to secure a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) doubleheader split on Saturday. Geneva prevailed 4-0 in the opening game of the twin bill.
With the extra-inning win, the Jackets snapped a three-game conference losing skid to rise to 15-8 and 6-4 in PAC play. Geneva moved to 12-12, 6-4 PAC.
Game 1 – Geneva 4, Waynesburg 0
The Golden Tornadoes slugged a two-out two run home run in the first inning to take an early lead. Three consecutive hits to open the fourth added another run and the game's final tally was scored on a two-out RBI double in the sixth.
Waynesburg stranded a pair of runners in the first and fifth innings. Down 3-0 in the fifth, the Jackets opened the frame with a walk and a single before a flyout and back-to-back strikeouts ended the half inning.
Kassidy Trimble (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) had two of the Jackets' five hits in the ballgame, including a double in the fourth inning.
Trinity Edge (Franklin, Pa. / Franklin) got the start in the circle and was charged with the setback after allowing three earned runs in 3.2 innings. She allowed six hits, struck out two and walked none.
Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va. / Clay-Battelle) gave up one run in 2.1 innings of relief.
Game 2 – Waynesburg 7, Geneva 6 (10 innings)
Geneva took an early 2-0 lead for the second-straight game. A throwing error and a wild pitch brought home two runs for the hosts in the bottom of the first.
Kayla Gratton (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) knocked an RBI double in the second to make it a one-run ballgame.
The Jackets took the lead with a three-run fifth inning.
Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa. / Chartiers-Houston) became Waynesburg's career leader in runs batted with an RBI double to plate
Grace Higgins (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan). Edge followed with a go-ahead two-run single to give the Jackets a 4-2 edge.
Geneva answered with a three-spot of its own in the home half of the fifth. All three of the Golden Tornadoes' runs were scored via a walk or hit batter with the bases loaded as the hosts closed the inning with a 5-4 lead.
Gatton knocked a one-out double in the sixth and scored on a two-out two-bagger by
Bella DeMark to tie the game at five. The Golden Tornadoes posted a two-out RBI double of their own in the bottom of the frame to take a 6-5 lead heading to the seventh.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Trimble brought home Edge to knot the game at six in the top of the seventh. The Jackets had a go-ahead run on third with one out but could not bring it home.
Geneva put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh. The Jackets threw out a runner at the plate on a grounder to short before retiring the next batter to force extra innings.
Both teams placed at least one baserunner on in the eighth and ninth innings but came up empty. The 10th inning triggered the international tiebreaker rule, which places a runner on second to begin each inning.
Gratton knocked in
Emma Bliss (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands) with a one-out single to left field to secure a 7-6 Waynesburg lead. Wilson posted back-to-back strikeouts to leave runners stranded on first and second and seal the dramatic extra-inning win.
Gratton went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. Higgins also turned in a three-hit day with a double. Edge had two hits, two walks, scored once, doubled and drove in a pair.
Brookman tied Waynesburg's career hits record (152) in addition to setting the career RBI mark at 107.
Wilson pitched 10.0 innings in the complete game victory. She allowed six earned runs on six hits and posted nine strikeouts to six walks.
Waynesburg takes on Hiram in a non-conference doubleheader in Ohio tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.
