WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 21) – The Waynesburg University softball team dropped a pair of competitive games to Washington & Jefferson in the opening doubleheader of Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play at the Waynesburg University Baseball & Softball Complex on Friday evening.
The Presidents (7-6, 2-0 PAC) scored 12 of their 14 runs in the doubleheader with two outs. W&J scored six runs in the first three innings of game one and held on for a 7-5 win. The Yellow Jackets (13-4, 0-2 PAC) led 2-1 after four innings in game two but a four-run fourth helped the Presidents secure a 7-4 win.
Game 1 – W&J 7, Waynesburg 5
The Presidents scored a trio of unearned runs in the top of the first inning. A two-out two-run double gave the visitors a 3-0 edge.
Waynesburg left the bases loaded in the first and W&J extended its lead to 4-0 with a two-out RBI single in the second.
Meysa Heitmann (Morgantown, W.Va. / University) knocked an RBI double to put the Jackets on the scoreboard. After stealing third, she was called out attempting to score on a wild pitch to close the second inning.
The Presidents grew their lead to 6-1 with another two-out, two run base hit.
In the bottom of the fourth, Waynesburg loaded the bases but only came away with one run on an RBI single by
Grace Higgins (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan).
W&J extended its lead to 7-2 on another two-out RBI in the top of the fifth.
Mackenzie Kearns (Elizabeth, Pa. / Elizabeth Forward) singled and reached third on a two-base throwing error to begin the sixth.
Bella DeMark (Carnegie, Pa. / Bishop Canevin) brought Kearns home with a base hit. Waynesburg's momentum was abruptly halted as the Jackets lined into a double play and grounded out to end the frame.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Jackets in the bottom of the seventh. W&J came up with another double play with force outs at home and first on a ground ball hit to third base.
Alyssa Rager (Washington, Pa. / Trinity) brought home two runs with a single down the right field line. The tying run came to plate but a strikeout gave the Presidents a 7-5 victory in the PAC opener.
Waynesburg outhit the Presidents 11-8 and had a 6-2 edge in bases on balls. Higgins went 3-for-3 while Kearns was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va. / Clay-Battelle) was charged with her first loss of the season after allowing six runs, three earned, in three innings.
Madison Baker (Kittanning, Pa. / Armstrong) allowed one earned run on three hits in four innings in relief.
Game 2 – W&J 7, Waynesburg 4
Waynesburg led 2-0 with Heitmann scoring in the first and third innings. Higgins drove in both runs with a sacrifice fly in the first and a double in the third.
W&J responded with its first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth. The Presidents took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh with a two-out two-run double off the left field fence. W&J added two more runs with a pair of two-out singles to lead 5-2.
Kassidy Trimble (Parkersburg, W.Va. / Parkersburg South) ripped a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth to plate Roberts. Another base hit brought the go-ahead run to the plate but a popout ended the inning.
W&J loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh. A throwing error allowed two runs to score as the Presidents' lead grew to 7-3.
Higgins doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly in the seventh but the Presidents held on for the 7-4 win.
Heitmann doubled, tripled and scored twice. Higgins doubled twice, drove in a pair and scored once. Trimble doubled twice and had an RBI.
Autumn Stemple (Morgantown, W.Va. / University) allowed just one run on three hits through four innings but had a final line of 4.2 innings and five earned runs on seven hits. Wilson allowed two unearned runs in relief.
The Jackets host Allegheny in a PAC doubleheader on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
