ANGOLA, Ind. (pacathletics.org) – The two-time Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champion Waynesburg University softball team was eliminated from the NCAA Regional at Trine University with losses to the host school Thursday and a setback to Millikin University Friday afternoon.

Facing the #5 ranked Trine Thunder in the opening day of action, the home team scored twice in the first inning to take the lead and added to it through the game to post a 7-0 victory over the Yellow Jackets. The Thunder posted nine hits in the win and received a combined no-hitter from pitchers Debbie Hill, who threw the first five innings, and Alexis Michon, who threw the final two.

Waynesburg did get two runners on in the game. Senior Brin Hunter (West Alexander, Pa./McGuffey) reached on an error in the first inning and freshman Bella DeMark (Carnegie, Pa./Bishop Canevin) walked in the second. 

Thursday's loss dropped the Jackets into a Friday match-up with Millikin in a regional round elimination game. The Yellow Jackets fell behind early, but settled down and rallied in the seventh to put the game-winning run at the plate. Unfortunately, a contest-inning double play not only wrapped up the game, but the Jackets' season in a 3-1 loss.
 
Trailing 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Waynesburg (29-10) got a leadoff double from junior Ella Brookman (Washington, Pa./Chartiers-Houston). Senior Reghan Benschoter (Newark, Ohio/Granville), who recorded her 100^th collegiate hit earlier in the game, followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners with no outs on the board. Freshman Jasmine Demaske (Waynesburg, Pa./Jefferson-Morgan) pinch-ran for Benschoter.
 
After Millikin (31-10) picked up its first out of the frame, DeMark got the Orange and Black on the board with an RBI single that sent Brookman home and put Demaske on third.
 
Unfortunately, the Big Blue slammed the door on Waynesburg's rally with a double play that closed out the contest.
 
Brookman and Benschoter collected two hits each to power the Waynesburg offense.
 
Sophomore Sydney Wilson (Pentress, W.Va./Clay-Battelle) got the start in the circle and put together a solid final performance to her 2023 campaign. The two-time PAC Pitcher of the Year worked all seven innings, during which she allowed two earned runs on five hits.
 
Though it ended earlier than the Jackets were hoping, the 2023 Waynesburg softball season was another historic one. Waynesburg became the first PAC team to win back-to-back league titles since Thomas More did so in 2017 and 2018. Its 29 wins are also a program record.

Contributed by Waynesburg Sports Information