CORTLAND, N.Y. – Junior pitcher Ethan Marszalek (Katy, Texas/Seven Lakes) tossed a complete game to pitch the Washington & Jefferson College baseball team to a 3-1 victory over 21st ranked SUNY Cortland in an elimination game Saturday evening in play at the 2024 Cortland, N.Y. Regional at Robert H. Wallace '53 Field.
Pitching powered the Presidents to a pair of elimination game wins on Saturday. Marszalek followed his classmate, Dante DiMatteo's(Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) lead, as he matched him with his own complete game gem in the win over host SUNY Cortland. The win avenged W&J's 9-2 loss to Cortland in the opening round Friday.
The victory improves the Presidents to 34-13 overall. Cortland sees its season end at 31-14-1.
W&J advances to play eighth-ranked Salve Regina on Sunday. The Seahawks downed Cortland by a 4-2 score in Saturday's middle game to move to 2-0 in regional play. W&J must beat Salve Regina twice Sunday to advance into NCAA Super Regionals. First pitch of Sunday's first game is scheduled for 11 a.m.
W&J was able to retire Cortland in the top of the first inning. Junior outfielder Drew Garth (Glenshaw, Pa./North Hills) smoked a one-out double down into the right field corner to put a runner in scoring position. A few pitches later, Garth then moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. That advance proved critical as senior Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) put a ground ball in play to produce an RBI that scored Garth for a 1-0 lead.
Cortland was quick to respond in the top of the second. A leadoff triple by Dylan Mackenzie was followed by an infield single in the shortstop hole by Luke Schartner that evened the score at 1-1. Cortland moved another runner into scoring position via a bunt, but Ethan Marszalek (Katy, Texas/Seven Lakes) recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
Led by a one-out double by freshman outfielder Zac Stern (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour), W&J put a pair of runners on in the bottom of the second but came up empty handed.
W&J regained the lead with a run in the fourth. A leadoff double by freshman Brian Feldman (Gibsonia, Pa./Eden Christian Academy) before moving to third on a fly out and scoring on a sac fly freshman Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley).
Cortland put a pair of runners on base in the top of the sixth. Marszalek was able to induce a groundout to third by Schartner to end the threat.
Marszalek retired the Red Dragons in order in the seventh. The Presidents used two-out magic in the bottom half of the frame to add an insurance run. A two-out infield single by LaDuca started the rally. Garth followed with his fourth hit of the day. Garth sent a fly ball on the left center field fence that resulted in a triple to score LaDuca.
W&J carried a two-run cushion into the ninth inning. Down to its final three outs, Cortland put a pair of runners into scoring position to open the frame. Marszalek came through with three-straight outs to end the threat and the game.
Marszalek got a strikeout for the inning's first out on a 3-2 pitch. He then got a pop up to shallow center field for on a 3-2 pitch for the second out. Nick Marola of Cortland then laced a sharply hit line drive to the left center field gap that Stern was able to track down for the game's final out.
W&J advanced to Saturday evening's elimination game after posting a 7-0 shutout win over Colby College earlier in the day. W&J got an exceptional pitching performance by DiMatteo, who struck out 11 batters in a complete game shutout.
Marszalek and DiMatteo combined to work all 18 innings on Saturday. The junior duo for 19 strikeouts and surrendered just one run as W&J earned a pair of wins.
Garth finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two singles, a double and a triple. Stern added a multi-hit effort which included a double.