In their second to last day of their annual Florida trip, the John Carroll University baseball team split their doubleheader against the Yellow Jackets of Waynesburg University.

The Blue Streaks defeated Waynesburg 10-3 prior to falling short 2-1 in game two.

Game One

Nate Wenson took the ball for game one, looking to extend his eight scoreless innings streak this season.  He would extend the streak, but it would be snapped in the late innings of the game.

Wenson allowed one run in the fifth inning, but got out of the bases loaded jam when he got the two-hole hitter for Waynesburg to line into a double play to Dominic Mittiga.  This run is the first run allowed by Wenson since this time last year in Florida.

"The plan was to throw strikes early and often" said Wenson.  "You never like to give up runs so throwing up a lot of goose eggs is always good."

The Blue Streaks got onto the board in a big way in the second inning.  Joe Charpentier doubled and Justin Hanley singled to set up first and third, then David Ferguson walked to set up bases loaded with one out.

All three and Christian Cassaro, who singled home a run, would score in the inning to make the score 4-0.  The Blue Streaks would add to their lead with Patrick Keohane, Sam Heaton and Mason Coleman all scoring runs later in the game to make the final score 10-3.

Game Two

A pitching duel was the story for game two.  Offense was hard to come by against John Merrill of John Carroll and Waynesburg's Mason Miller.

Merrill started off with a good fastball that played well with his breaking pitch.  Merrill threw six scoreless innings, striking out six batters in order to do so. Merrill allowed just one batter reach second base in his body of work,

Mason Miller was coming in hot off a 15-strikeout, seven inning complete game in his first outing of the week.  Miller proved his dominance by striking out eight Blue Streaks over his seven-inning complete game.

John Carroll would score off of Miller in the fifth.  Justin Hanley led off the inning with a triple in the right center gap to put pressure on the junior.  Joe Charpentier pinch hit for Landen Glaser after Miller retired the second batter of the inning, Charpentier showed his maturity at the plate by driving in Hanley to put the first run on the board out of both teams.

Both teams would go scoreless until the seventh.  Jack Bennett came in for the Blue Streaks in relief of Merrill.  Bennett walked the first batter, which set up the Yellow Jackets to bunt with their seven-hole batter.

The batter got the bunt down and the Yellow Jackets got a bonus when the ball was thrown wide of first base to allow him to reach and the runner on first to get to third.  The runner on first stole second to set up second and third with no outs.

Looking to throw off the hitter's timing, a changeup was thrown, but it bounced in front of the plate and over the catcher's chest protector to allow the runner on third to score and make the game 1-1.

Waynesburg would score another run on a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1 going into the bottom of the seventh.  In the bottom of the seventh, both Hanley singled and Charpentier singled to set up first and second with two outs and give Jack Bennett a chance to get off the hook for the two unearned runs in the top of the inning.

Miller would pound the zone to the last batter before he got a ground out to the first baseman, ending that rally for the Blue Streaks and causing JCU to split the doubleheader with Waynesburg.

The Blue Streaks move to 7-3 on the year, while the Yellow Jackets finish their Florida trip 6-4.  John Carroll will end their Florida trip against DeSales tomorrow, March 9. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m.