Local roundup: Pratt strikeout 11 in Yellow Jackets’ win
Waynesburg University pitcher Gavin Pratt recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts as the Yellow Jackets defeated Vermont State Lyndon, 13-1, in Fort PIerce, Florida, on Monday.
Pratt allowed just one run on three hits in six innings to earn the win. He was followed on the mound by Ryan Opfer, who threw two scoreless frames, and Aiden Adamson, who struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
Pratt, a senior, and Adamson, a freshman, are both Carmichaels graduates.
It was the fifth of a six-game Florida trip for Waynesburg (2-3).
The Yellow Jackets scored at least one run in each of the first six innings, including six in the second, and finished with 11 hits and 10 walks.
Aidan Williams was 4 for 5 with a double, RBI, walk and three runs and Alec Engelmore knocked in three runs for Waynesburg, which also got a double and three runs from Seth Burgdolt.
Women’s softball
Waynesburg 10, North Carolina Wesleyan 7; Waynesburg 14, Bay Path 1 – The Yellow Jackets picked up two wins at the Fast Pitch Dreams Spring Classic in Myrtle Beach.
Sydney Wilson and Grace Higgins each hit run-scoring doubles in a five-run second inning during the win over North Carolina Wesleyan. Wilson and Higgins both went 2 for 4 and Wilson had three RBIs and was the winning pitcher.
Waynesburg (5-1) had a 6-2 lead after three innings but North Carolina Wesleyan came back to go up 7-6 in the fourth. The Yellow Jackets tied it in on Katelynn Britenbaugh’s sacrifice fly in the seventh and added three more unearned runs in the frame to make it 10-7.
North Carolina Wesleyan threatened in the bottom of the seventh but center fielder Mackenzie Kearns made a diving catch to end the game.
Bella DeMark was 3 for 4 with an RBI and Meysa Heitmann and Kaitlyn Jagielski both had two hits and a run for Waynesburg.
Camdyn Kowalczyk had a triple, single, RBI and run for the Yellow Jackets in the five-inning victory over Bay Path, and Graeson Grubbs, Rylee Rohbeck and Britenbaugh each had two RBIs. Sydney Petrowski was 2 for 2 with a double and Tori Foust and a double and an RBI.
Winning pitcher Autumn Stemple allowed one unearned run on three hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks in four innings.
Sunday, March 2
Wilkes 3, Waynesburg 2; Wilkes 7, Waynesburg 3 – The Colonels swept a baseball doubleheader from the Yellow Jackets in Florida.
West Greene graduate Dalton Lucy took the loss in the first game, surrendering two earned runs in five innings for Waynesburg which only managed four hits.
Wilkes scored all seven of its runs in the second game in the fifth inning.
Noah Gabbriel was 2 for 2 with a double, stolen base and three RBIs for the Yellow Jackets.
Women’s softball
Spartanburg Methodist 9, Waynesburg 0; Waynesburg 3, Wilkes 2 – The Yellow Jackets opened the season with a two-game split at the Fast Pitch Dreams Spring Classic at Myrtle Beach.
Autumn Stemple took the loss against Spartanburg Methodist, allowing two earned runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts in four innings.
Meysa Heitman had a double, single and RBI for Waynesburg and Breanna Rice was 2 for 2 with an RBI. Dilyn Roberts chipped in with a single and an RBI.
Winning pitcher Sydney Wilson gave up two runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts in tossing a complete game.