WAYNESBURG, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson softball team dropped a pair of close games in a doubleheader at Waynesburg on Saturday afternoon, April 29, as the final scores read 4-2 in the first game and 7-6 in the second to close out its Presidents' Athletic Conference portion of the 2017 season.
 
The Yellow Jackets struck first in game one, scoring once in the third and fourth innings each to take a 2-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Danielle Kochka (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) led off the inning with a single to center and then advanced to second on a Meghan Staab (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) sac bunt. Two batters later, Kochka advanced to third when Dana Parker (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) reached on an infield single to the pitcher. After Parker stole second, Abby Cunningham (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) drove both runners in with a single to left center to tie the game, 2-2.
 
Waynesburg responded in the bottom half of the inning, however, plating two runs on two hits to regain a two-run lead and yield the final margin.
 
In game two, Waynesburg jumped out to a 6-0 lead after scoring three runs in both the first and second innings. But the Presidents began to chip away at the Yellow Jackets' lead when, in the top of the fourth, Ally Doty (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) doubled down the left-field line to lead off the inning. Doty scored on the next play on an error by the pitcher, allowing the hitter, Jamie Smith (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) to reach base.
 
Kristen Fuertes (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) followed with a single and advanced to second on the throw to third, putting runners on second and third, still with nobody out. Kochka proceeded to drive in Smith with a single through the right side, allowing Fuertes to move to third, and Staab reached on a fielder's choice, plating Fuertes to put the deficit at just 6-3.
 
The Presidents continued their comeback in the top of the sixth inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Rachel Marx (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) reached on an error by the shortstop, allowing Fuertes to score from third. Parker then singled down the left-field line, scoring Staab from third, to make it a 6-5 game. Cunningham, with her third hit of the doubleheader, singled to right to drive in Marx and tie the game.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Yellow Jackets came up with three consecutive singles to lead off the inning to earn the walk-off win.
 
Five Presidents recorded multiple hits on the day, led by Cunningham's and Parker's three, while six different Presidents drove in at least one run and scored at least one run.
 
Fuertes and Taylor Andres (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) both pitched in both games. Fuertes started game one and made a relief appearance in game two as she totaled 8.2 innings and gave up five runs (two earned) on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
 
The Presidents will return for their final road game of the season on Sunday, April 30, in a nonconference doubleheader at Muskingum at 1:00 p.m.