WAYNESBURG, Pa. (February 26) – The Waynesburg University baseball team opened its season with a doubleheader split against Penn State Altoona at the Waynesburg University Baseball & Softball Complex on Wednesday afternoon. 
 
The Yellow Jackets broke through with a four-run fifth inning to overcome three solo home runs by the Lions to take the season opener 4-3. The Lions used an 11-run fourth inning and knocked 16 hits in a 17-6 PSA victory in game two. Both games of the doubleheader were seven inning contests.

Waynesburg opens the season at 1-1 while Penn State Altoona moves to 3-1. The Jackets notched their first win under the leadership of head coach Michael Impellittiere in the first game.
  
Game 1 – Waynesburg 4, Penn State Altoona 3
 
The Lions built a 2-0 lead on a pair of solo home runs by Fred Guarino IV in the third and fifth innings.
 
Hunter Hamilton (Holbrook, Pa. / West Greene) singled up the middle to lead off the home half of the fifth and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and groundout. Garrett Comer (St. Albans, W.Va. / St. Albans) laced a two-out RBI single off the glove of the leaping second baseman to place Waynesburg's first run.
 
Following a walk, Mike Bell (Herminie, Pa. / Yough) tied the game at two with a single down the right field line. Alec Engelmore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) cranked a double into the gap in right center to score two and give the Jackets a 4-2 edge.
 
Penn State Altoona added its third home run of the ball game with a two-out solo shot in the sixth to make it a 4-3 ballgame. Engelmore retired the Lions in order in the seventh to secure the one-run win.
 
The Jackets utilized four different pitchers in the game. Dalton Lucey (Waynesburg, Pa. / West Greene) started and did not allow a run in two innings. Gavin Pratt (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels Area) gave up one earned run and struck out three in two frames. Ethan Erhard (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) picked up the win after allowing two earned runs in two innings. Engelmore collected the save for working a clean seventh inning.
 
Hamilton went 2-for-3 with a run scored and stolen base. Engelmore drove in two with his fifth-inning double.
 
The Jackets outhit PSA 7-4 with four of their hits in the decisive fifth inning. Three of the Lion's four hits were longballs.
 
Game 2 – Penn State Altoona 17, Waynesburg 6

The Lions led 4-2 after three innings before exploding for 11 runs on 11 hits in the top of the fourth inning to go ahead 15-2. The visitors led 17-3 after five before Waynesburg scored the final three runs of the ballgame in the bottom of the sixth.

Comer cranked his first career home run over the left field fence in the sixth. Bell went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Hamilton had a hit and drove in two runs. 

Waynesburg used nine different pitchers in game two. Mike McCready (Greensburg, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic), Alex Nicholson (Cortland, Ohio / Mathews) and Matthew Corte-Gaskill (Wake Forest, N.C. / Knightdale) each worked scoreless innings. Corte-Gaskill struck out the side in the seventh. As a team, the Jackets notched 11 strikeouts as a staff in the ballgame. 
 
The Jackets begin their spring break trip in Florida with a doubleheader against Wilkes on Sunday with first pitch set for 12 p.m.