WASHINGTON, Pa. -- W&J starting pitchers Henry Litman(Marietta, Ga./Walton) and Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) allowed just one run on six hits as they combined to toss 13 strong innings in a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep of Chatham University Tuesday afternoon at Ross Memorial Park.
The wins improve W&J to 2-0 in conference play and 9-6 overall. Chatham falls to 0-4 in the PAC and 6-7 overall in 2022.
Game 1 - W&J 5, Chatham 1
Litman worked all seven innings in game one to guide W&J to a 5-1 victory. The senior righthanded hurler allowed just one run on four hits. Litman struck out six and issued just one walk in the win.
After two scoreless innings, Chatham opened the scoring in the top of the third inning. The Cougars placed a pair on after back-to-back infield singles. Both runners moved up 90 feet after Litman committed a balk. An RBI groundout by Dylan Vogel produced the game's first run.
The lead was short lived for the visitors as W&J responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Junior third baseman Logan Scheider (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) drew a four pitch walk to open the inning and Horvat followed with a single to center. A successful sacrifice bunt by senior second baseman Jason Gregovits (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake) advanced Scheider and Horvat to third and second, respectively. After senior catcher Peter Kalinski(Washington, D.C./Saint John's College) walked to load the bases, junior outfielder Evan Sante (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) plated Scheider with a sac fly to center to tie the score. W&J was not done, as a two-run double by freshman designated hitter Scout Zaas (Powell, Ohio/Wellington School) gave W&J 3-1 lead after three innings.
The Presidents tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Roman Samson (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep) laced a one-out RBI double to score Sante and senior shortstop Nate Rush (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) drove in Samson with an RBI single.
That was more than enough support for Litman, who did not allow a Cougar to reach scoring position over the final three innings.
Rush and Zaas both recorded multi-hit efforts for W&J in game one.
Game 2 - W&J 9, Chatham 2
The strong pitching continued in game two, as Horvat allowed just two hits as he tossed six scoreless innings in a 9-2 win in the nightcap. He struck out four and issued no walks during a tidy 79-pitch effort.
W&J wasted little time in game two. The Red and Black offense scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning. Horvat was hit by a pitch and stole second in front of a walk by freshman infielder Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius). After both runners advanced on a passed ball, Kalinski scored Horvat with a sac fly. The next batter, Samson, produced an RBI single to score LaDuca. Sophomore first baseman Joe Lehner (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) plated Sante with a sac fly and junior outfielder Tony Tamilia (Coraopolis, Pa. / Moon) made it 4-0 as his RBI single scored Samson.
The score remained 4-0 until the fifth as W&J put the game away with a five spot in bottom half of the frame. The Presidents produced just two hits in the inning but took advantage of two errors and three walks by Chatham. Kalinski opened the inning by drawing a walk and Sante followed with a two-run home run to extend the lead to 6-0. The home run was the fourth of the season for Sante. Later in the inning, Rush scored Lehner with an RBI infield single. An eighth run scored on a wild pitch before the ninth tally scored on a Chatham defensive miscue.
Sante, Samson and Rush each recorded two hits in game two.
W&J continues a busy week Wednesday when they host Saint Vincent for a PAC doubleheader. First pitch is once again scheduled for 2 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park.