As the Waynesburg softball team continues its season, the recent stretch of poor weather has caused many Presidents’ Athletic Conference games to be rescheduled. As such, the Yellow Jackets will have played eight games in seven days come this Saturday, April 14, when the team takes on Thiel in its final two games of a long home stint.

Head coach Richele Hall sees the concentrated week of games as something that will benefit the team because they will actually be playing in game situations, which is what the team has been preparing for since the off-season.

“I am not worried about the heavy week of games especially since the girls just want to play,” said Hall. “Playing a [double header] and sitting for 11 days isn’t going to help us get better, playing the game we have worked so hard to prepare for since January is what is going to get us rolling.”

Last season, the Yellow Jackets dropped both contests against the Tomcats, losing game one 8-2 and falling in game two 12-1. In the games, then-sophomore Jessica Kelley tossed all 13 innings in the double header for Thiel, allowing three runs on 16 hits, two walks and five strikeouts. On the offensive side, then-freshman Vanessa Falce went 4 for 8 with six RBIs between the two games for Thiel, and then-sophomore Miranda Reesman notched five RBIs for the Tomcats as well.

No hitter for the Yellow Jackets produced more than two hits across the 13 innings of play. The Tomcats went on to be the four-seed in the PAC tournament, while Waynesburg missed out on the playoffs with a seventh-place conference finish.

For Hall, the most important thing to emerge victorious against Thiel will be staying consistent for both games of the double header.

“The biggest thing we need to do is to keep with our approach and our fight—we need to string two great games together,” Hall said. “We have been doing a great job playing game one of the double header, but in game two we see a drop off and the girls are well aware of this being an area of focus. The biggest thing for us and staying persistent and confident throughout both games.”

Entering play Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets have a 10-10 overall record and sit in fourth place in the PAC with a 3-3 conference record. Thiel, on the other hand, is off to a 7-13 start overall entering Wednesday and holds a 2-2 conference record, good for sixth place in the PAC.

Hall is especially confident in her team entering the contests, and looks for more of the same type of solid production on the field from all members of the team. Junior first baseman Alex Lawrence is one of the many key contributors of the team, hitting .310 with a team-high three home runs and 14 RBIs entering play Wednesday, while junior pitcher Courtney Messenger will look to hold the Tomcat offense in check as she enters Wednesday with 10 complete games and an 8-4 record after shutting out Chatham twice Tuesday.

“My expectations are always through the roof for my leaders down to my freshman, because this team is talented and we haven’t even seen the best of them yet,” Hall said. “Lawrence and Messenger have done a great job for us and I need them each to continue doing their part.”

First pitch for the double header this Saturday will be 3 p.m., with game two following shortly after the conclusion of game one. Hall feels the Yellow Jackets have all the personnel to match what Thiel will bring to the table, and knows the team will have to capitalize on every opportunity against the conference foe.

“As far as Thiel’s top players and hitters, I believe we match them in that category. We need our best, including in the circle to out-do their best,” said Hall. “[Our] approach against their pitching staff will be that same for us as it has been all season, making sure we are patient and committing to our good ‘yes’ pitch. We have to find a way to get runners to score once we have them on base—every run for us will count in this double header with Thiel.”