INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State University and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown both came into Saturday's doubleheader at 1-1 after splitting a pair of games on Friday.

In Game 1, West Virginia State jumped ahead with a three-run third inning and carried a late lead before Pitt-Johnstown rallied for a 6-5 walk-off victory. Garrett Wagoner's RBI double and Aidan Paulsen's two-run single highlighted the third, staking the Yellow Jackets to a 3-0 cushion. Cameron Peschl added a triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to tie the game at 4, and Brodie Guenther doubled and scored in the seventh on an RBI single from Ethyn Barnitz to put WVSU back in front, 5-4. Jared Nethercutt allowed two runs over four innings in the start, but a pair of unearned runs proved costly late. Pitt-Johnstown capitalized on a throwing error and a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh, finishing the comeback with a sacrifice fly to hand the Yellow Jackets a narrow setback despite outhitting the hosts 7-6.

In the nightcap, WVSU again showed early control before falling in another walk-off, 5-4. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of early miscues to score twice in the first and regained the lead in the third when Evan Weaver tripled and later scored. Cameron Peschl and Brodie Guenther delivered extra-base hits, including Guenther's RBI double in the fifth that tied the game at 4. Braylon Moore provided 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to steady the middle frames, and WVSU held Pitt-Johnstown hitless for a stretch before the home side broke through in the seventh with a bases-loaded single. Despite limiting Pitt-Johnstown to four hits in the finale, defensive errors and eight walks allowed kept the pressure on, as the Yellow Jackets dropped a pair of tightly contested games that were decided in the final at-bat.

West Virginia State will be back on the diamond at home against Malone for another Friday-Saturday doubleheader on February 20 and 21.