The Waynesburg University baseball team was at the top of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference entering Tuesday afternoon. After its meeting with rival Washington & Jefferson, its place in the standings changed.

The Yellow Jackets lost both games to the Presidents, losing game one 8-4 and the nightcap 8-2. Waynesburg collected 10 hits in the first game, but got just three in the second. Senior outfielder Mitch Nordstrom said it simply wasn’t the right day for the team.

“As a team we’re still finding our identity at the plate and some people had off days,” Nordstrom said. “Tip of the cap to their [pitchers] for pumping the strike zone and being efficient. Our team can hang with the other teams of the PAC, today just was not our day.”

In the first game, W&J took an early 1-0, but Waynesburg would tie it at one in the second. Senior designated hitter Tyler Godwin drove in freshman left fielder Luke Winterbottom with an RBI triple to even the score. The game remained 1-1 until the top of the fifth, when the Presidents’ bats came alive for six runs.

Waynesburg fought back, scored three times in the sixth. Junior second baseman Justin Buberl plated two of the three runs on a two-run homer to left field, making the score 8-3. Winterbottom brought in junior first baseman Johnny Kutchman on a fielder’s choice to cut the deficit to four.

That would be the final scoring play of the game, however, as W&J held the Jackets scoreless in the seventh.

Waynesburg’s offense went cold in game two, not collecting a hit until the sixth inning. The Presidents jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth and then another four in the sixth to claim an 8-0 lead. Waynesburg’s only runs came with two in the eighth. Junior shortstop Vinny Monico scored on a passed ball to make it 8-1, and senior third baseman Tyler Reis then drove in sophomore Brandon Durbin for the final 8-2 score.

For Godwin, W&J’s pitching was a difference in the two games.

“In game one we faced a pitcher that threw harder and worked at a quick pace,” he said. “In game two, we faced a pitcher that relied on his off-speed pitches and took his time on the mound. I think we were trying to do too much and we could not get anything rolling offensively.”

Junior Mason Miller was tagged with his first loss of the season in game one, falling to 3-1.

Kutchman took the loss in game two in his first appearance back from an early season injury. He is now 0-3. For W&J, senior Garrett Harstine (3-1) and senior Tanner Gaerke (2-1) each picked up wins.

The Jackets will be back in action Friday against Bethany, who just played against PAC-leading Saint Vincent Wednesday. Nordstrom knows what the team must improve on to compete against the Bison, and believes the team is up to the challenge.

“We have to jump on opportunities as they are presented and capitalize on their mistakes while minimizing our mistakes,” Nordstrom said. “If we play our game like we have during other series this season, we will perform up to our potential and good things will happen.”