WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson baseball team recorded a season-high 21 hits to roll by Waynesburg, 20-2, in PAC action at Ross Memorial Park on Wednesday, April 3.
The victory, W&J's 11th straight, runs the Presidents' record to 14-7 overall and 9-0 in conference.
In addition to tallying a season high in hits, the Red & Black also posted season-best totals in runs (20), RBI (19) and doubles (10). The Presidents have not scored 20-plus runs in a game since defeating Geneva 23-3 on April 21, 2017.
W&J's bats started things off quickly tonight, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. The first score of the game was from a three-run blast from Spencer Howell(Oakwood, Ohio/Oakwood), who sent the ball sailing over the left field fence for his second homer of the year.
The Presidents' lead grew to 4-0 with an RBI single from Josh Crummer (Great Falls, Va./Flint Hill School) that brought Justin Griffin (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) home from third.
After the Yellow Jackets plated two in the third, the W&J rebuilt its lead with two runs in the third and one run in the fourth. Two of the three scores came from RBI doubles by both Griffin and Crummer. The third run came from Dante Dalesandro (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) earning a bases-loaded walk.
Leading 7-2, the Presidents blew the game wide open with an eight-run fifth inning. Dalesandro, Socha, James Artale (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) and Michael Zito (Nashville, Tenn./Hume-Fogg) all tallied RBI in the frame, with Dalesandro and Socha each driving in runs in two separate at-bats.
The Presidents capped off their impressive night with RBI from Adam Moore (Olean, N.Y./Archbishop Walsh), Peter Kalinski (Washington, D.C./St. John's College) and Spencer Blackburn (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny). These three scores secured a 20-2 victory for W&J, its fourth double-digit win in PAC play.
Dalesandro, Socha and Griffin all finished tied for the team lead with three hits each. Dalesandro finished with three RBI and two runs, Socha posted two RBI and two runs and Griffin logged one RBI and three runs. Socha and Griffin also posted two doubles each.
Ben Marsico (Bradford Woods, Pa./North Allegheny) started on the mound for the Presidents, going 6.0 innings with two runs allowed to pick up his fourth win of the year. Tanner Gaerke (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder), Jansen Eichenlaub (Export, Pa./Franklin Regional) and Josh Palma (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) all made scoreless relief appearances.
The Presidents remain home for their next PAC games, as they welcome Westminster to Ross Memorial Park for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 6.