AUBURNDALE, Fla.—Gordon Baseball opened its season with a doubleheader split against PAC opponent Waynesburg on Saturday afternoon. Matt Amore (Pequonnock, N.J.) pitched a gem in game one to lead Gordon to an 8-2 victory, but the Yellow Jackets got the Scots back in the second game with a 16-7 offensive showing.
 
Game One
 
Things started slow for the Fighting Scots to kick off the 2016 campaign, facing Waynesburg's  senior ace Brian Resnik (Burgettstown, Pa.), an all-region pitcher in the mid-Atlantic last season. Resnik was dominant early on, striking out seven of the first nine Gordon batters and holding a bid at perfection through four innings.
 
On the other side, it took two innings for junior starter Amore to settle into a rhythm and Waynesburg was able to put pressure on the Fighting Scots from the get go. Outfielder Josh Hausler (Califon, N.J.) earned a lead-off walk and eventually scored later in the inning on a groundout to second base to give Waynesburg the early 1-0 advantage.
 
Gordon got itself out of a jam in the second inning to keep it a one-run game and kept the Jackets' offense at bay in the middle frames while its own offense sputtered to get going.
 
The Fighting Scots finally broke through Resnik's performance in the top of the fifth inning as Jeremy Jackson (Waco, Texas) ruined the perfect game with a single to the hole at short. Jackson stole second base and made it to third when the throw from home was airmailed it into center field. Two batters later, sophomore Travis Benoit (Worcester, Mass.) hit a chopper a shallow infield to easily score Jackson from third and tie the game at one.
 
Waynesburg threatened to blow open the game in the bottom of the fifth, putting the first three runners on base with no outs in the frame. Outfielder Matt Bensinger (Shoemakersville, Pa.) was hit by a pitch to put a run home for the 2-1 Yellow Jackets lead. Gordon freshman Christian Hodge (Waltham, Mass.) caught a line drive at third base and easily tagged the runner out for the double play to alleviate some pressure. Amore struck out the next batter looking to get out of the jam with minimal damage.
 
Gordon's persistence finally paid off in the top of the sixth inning when the Scots tagged Waynesburg's starter for four runs. Connor Rogotzke (Altamont. N.Y.) doubled to the left-center gap for his first career hit and scored on the next play when Addison Tarr (Oxnard, Calif.) rifled one back up the middle to tie the game at two.
 
Tarr caused some issues on the base paths when he was called safe at third on a hopper to the shortstop, allowing Dean Demers (Sandy Hook, Conn.) to reach on the play. After Demes stole second, Jackson knocked in Tarr to give Gordon its first lead of the game. An error on a Jackson steal allowed Demers to take home easily and Jackson later crossed the plate on a dropped third strike.
 
Gordon added to its lead in the seventh with RBI hits from Tarr and Demers, while holding Waynesburg to only one hit in the final two frames.
 
Game Two
 
The Jackets started off the nightcap the same way they began game one, with Hausler getting on base after getting hit by a pitch. Nathan Mori (Greensburg, Pa.) drove Hausler in after the outfielder stole second, giving Waynesburg a 1-0 advantage.
 
The lead was short lived for the Yellow Jackets as Gordon struck back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Tarr was hit on the elbow to lead off the first and went to third on a single through the hole by Alex Smith (Wethersfield, Conn.). Demers added another RBI single to centerfield to plate Tarr and a few wild pitches by Luke Carter (Saegertown, Pa.) gave Gordon two more runs in the inning.
 
Waynesburg chipped into Gordon's lead in the top of the fourth inning when Eli Kucherawy (Spencer, W. Va.) drove in Tyler Godwin (Bridgeville, Pa.) to make it a 3-2 game.
 
The Jackets blew the game wide open in the fifth inning, loading the bases with one out. Gordon's Caleb Bae (Canyon Country, Calif.) came in to get a flyout, but back-to-back two-run hits gave Waynesburg a 6-3 lead. Waynesburg added a three-run homer and a grand slam later in the inning, tagging four Gordon pitchers for 12 runs in the fifth to take a commanding 14-3 lead.
 
Hausler added to his big day with a 2-RBI triple in the 6^th. Gordon scored four runs between the sixth and seventh innings to make things closer in the end.
 
The Fighting Scots are back in action tomorrow morning for a double-header with former Commonwealth Coast Conference rival Anna Maria beginning at 9:30 a.m. Waynesburg is also back in action tomorrow when they take on Cornell College.
 
For the Foes

• Hausler went 4-for-7 on the day with two RBI and two stolen bases. The junior scored three times in game two.
• DH Ben Miller (Columbia, Md.) had three hits on the day, including a three-run home run in game two that broke it open.
• Jonathon Kletzli (Carnegie, Pa.) had all four of his RBI on an opposite-field grand slam in that big fifth inning.
• Resnik struck out 14 Gordon batters despite a game-one loss
• Carter went six and a third to earn the victory in game two.

 
For the Scots

• After starting the day 0-for-2 Tarr finished the day with three hits and two HBP.
• Demers ended the openers 3-for-7 with four RBI and a triple.
• Jackson went 3-for-4 in the first game with an RBI and two steals
• Freshmen Rogotzke and Erik Holvik (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) collected their first career extra base hits and RBI.
• Amore went six strong innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out seven batters.