With the season slowing winding down, the softball team went on the road over the weekend and split a series against the Geneva Golden Tornados.

The Waynesburg Yellow Jacket softball team competed in a doubleheader in Beaver Falls, Saturday, April 21, against the Geneva Golden Tornadoes who won the first game 7-4 before dropping the second to the Jackets 4-3.

“We went into the game with no expectations, but still had high energy and did not take them lightly,” said junior shortstop Keri Renzler.

In game one of the twin bill, Geneva started off hot in the bottom of the first inning after Waynesburg took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a run scored off a defensive error. For Geneva, four of its five runs came off singles. The other hit came off an error and left the Jackets in a 5-1 hole.

“The five quick runs by them put us down, we still tried to play on a high, and we had a lot of hits too, we just let them score early and couldn’t come back,” said Renzler.

In the top of the third inning, junior first baseman Alex Lawrence cut Geneva’s lead to three runs with a solo home run for the Yellow Jackets. Renzler singled in a run in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 5-3 game in favor of Geneva, but the Golden Tornadoes extended their lead back up to four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Waynesburg’s last chance in the top of the seventh only consisted of one run, bringing the game to its final score, 7-4. Renzler went 3-4 on the day and Lawrence went 2-3.

“It was a tough loss,” said Renzler. “Our energy from game one carried over to game two though and momentum was on our side after one of their assistant coaches got tossed by the umpires between games.”

Game two started with what looked to be like it was going to be the same result of game one. Geneva scored a run in the bottom of the first inning, but Waynesburg fired right back with two runs of its own in the top of the second inning.

“We just put the ball in play,” said Renzler.

Geneva tied the game up 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning and then took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Luckily for the Yellow Jackets, they were able to mount a comeback in the seventh.

Sophomore Cheyenne Wasko started off the rally with a double to centerfield, scoring Renzler which tied up the game at three. Sophomore Courtney Syfert then hit a triple to centerfield, which scored Wasko, making it 4-3 in favor of the Yellow Jackets.

“I was in a really bad slump before the game,” said Renzler. “I am still trying to get over my injuries from the beginning of the season and I just felt good going into the game against Geneva. I saw the ball really well, probably the best I have seen the ball off a pitcher all season. [Wasko] was clutch for us with the bat and Courtney’s big triple got her out of her slump too and got us a win.”

Waynesburg only had three hits in game two, while Geneva had 12. Waynesburg still managed to win the game and split the doubleheader with the Presidents’ Athletic Conference opponent.

Waynesburg’s next softball doubleheader will take today, April 26, in Washington, Pennsylvania against the Presidents of Washington & Jefferson.