WAYNESBURG, Pa. – La Roche baseball took the field Sunday afternoon for a seven-inning twin bill against Waynesburg on the road. Despite a pair of valiant efforts, it was the Yellow Jackets sweeping the doubleheader, defeating the Redhawks by final scores of 6-5 in eight innings and 4-3.
GAME 1: Waynesburg 6 La Roche 5
Waynesburg was the early aggressor in the early stage of game one, driving in a pair of runs behind a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to take a 2-0 lead through two innings.
La Roche responded in the top of the third, tying the game at 2-2.
Josh Dreyer opened the scoring with an RBI single to cut the deficit in half, then Samuel DiCicco followed with another RBI single of his own to tie the game.
The Redhawks earned its first lead of the day in the top of the fourth, when Danny Suarez drove in a run on an RBI single, then a few batters later, crossed the plater on a fielder's choice, making it a 4-2 lead in favor of La Roche.
The Yellow Jackets trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth behind an yet another RBI single, but the Redhawks had an answer in the top of the sixth, as Larry Bielawski's fielder's choice and RBI, upped the lead back to 5-3.
Waynesburg though countered in the bottom of the sixth, as an RBI double made it a 5-4 game, followed by a wild pitch to allow the Yellow Jackets to even the game, 5-5.
In the bottom of the eighth, Waynesburg would hand La Roche its second consecutive walk-off defeat to start the year, as an RBI single gave the Yellow Jackets the victory.
Casey Jones got the start for the Redhawks, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned), 10 hits, two walks and fanned four.
In relief, Cameron Mauk took the loss, tossing 1.2 innings, allowing one run, four hits, two walks and one strikeout.
Offensively, La Roche had eight hits in the opening game, with Brandon Snyder's 2-for-4 outing leading the way, while six others chipped in a hit.
GAME 2: Waynesburg 5 La Roche 4
After two consecutive walk-off defeats handed the Redhawks their first two losses of the season, that streak would continue, as Waynesburg walked-off game two, as it did in game one.
La Roche jumped on the board quickly in game two, receiving a sacrifice fly in the top of the first from Snyder to make it 1-0, then in the top of the second, Suarez's RBI fielder's choice gave the Redhawks a 2-0 lead.
La Roche shutout the Yellow Jackets over the first five innings, but in the bottom of the sixth, Waynesburg took control.
The Yellow Jackets took the lead in that bottom of the sixth, 3-2, behind a bases clearing double, putting the Redhawks in a must score situation in the top of the seventh.
La Roche, three outs away from being swept on the day pulled through, as Dimitri Gary belted a solo homer, tying the game at 3-3.
Unfortunately, the early season trend of walk-off defeats continued for the Redhawks, as Waynesburg, with one out had a batter hit by a pitch, followed by three consecutive singles, would take home the victory, 4-3.
Jamison Rhoades took the hill for La Roche and over 5.2 innings, allowed three runs, six hits, walked four and struck out one.
Caden Maffitt in relief took the loss, tossing 0.2 innings, as the winning run was charged to him and he struck out a single batter.
Bielawski threw to the final three batters after the hit by pitch in the seventh and allowed three hits.
Offensively, the Redhawks again had eight hits, as Tanner Schmitt (2-for-2), Christian Melendez (2-for-3) and Gary (2-for-3) combined for six of the eight.
La Roche looks to put the walk-off woes behind it, as they now prepare to take the field at home for the first time in 2024.
The Redhawks welcome Penn State Greater Allegheny to the Baierl Athletic Complex on Friday, Mar. 1, for a doubleheader set to begin at 12 p.m.