WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson baseball team built early leads and held off visiting Westminster in both games Tuesday to secure another important Presidents' Athletic Conference sweep. 

The sweep improves the Presidents to 13-1 in PAC play and 21-9 overall. The losses drop the Titans to 15-18 overall and 9-7 in conference play.
 
Game One – W&J 4, Westminster 3
 
The Red & Black jumped out to an early lead in game one of the twinbill before two runs and four hits in the opening frame. Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) started things off with a leadoff hustle single to the shortstop.
 
Drew Garth (Glenshaw, Pa./North Hills) and Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) kept things going as Garth singled to second and Lutz drove LaDuca home on an RBI single down the left field line. Jake Stiehl (Reston, Va./South Lakes) plated a second run with an RBI single to left field to score Garth.
 
Each team would tally a run in the second inning. The Red & Black looked poised to strike in the beginning of the inning with a leadoff single from Ben Schuler (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) followed by a bunt for a single from center fielder John Klein (Vienna, Va./Madison).
 
A sacrifice fly from LaDuca would score Schuler before a quick double play would help Westminster limit a chance at further damage.
 
The Titans trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the third. Both starting pitchers posted zeroes until the top of the sixth. The Titans loaded the bases with no outs and looked poised to take their first lead of the game. However, W&J was able to retire the next three hitters with minimal damage. Three-straight outs did help the Titans pull even on an RBI groundout. 

W&J was able to start a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh to score the eventual game-winning run. LaDuca and Garth singled produced back to back singles to put runners on the corners. Lutz did what he needed to do to get the go-ahead run across. A perfectly placed single in front of the right fielder scored LaDuca to help W&J regain the lead at 4-3.

Anthony Pass (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) would record the win for the Presidents after 7.2 innings of work on the mound. The win improves Pass to 6-1 on the season.

Ethan Boring (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley) picked up the four-out save to help W&J nail down the victory. Boring entered with two on and two out in the eighth inning before needing just one pitch to escape the jam. Boring retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save of the season. 
 
Nolan went 3-for-3 with two RBI at the plate to lead the Presidents in game one. LaDuca and Garth both registered two hits in the victory. 
 
Game Two – W&J 8, Westminster 5
 
W&J staked claim to an early lead in game two. The Presidents scored five runs over the first to innings to take control.
 
Lutz and Joe Lehner (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) would both register an RBI single in the opening frame. 
 
All of the damage in the second inning came with two outs and the base paths clear. LaDuca singled and scored a batter later on a RBI double by Garth. Lutz followed with a double of his own to plate Lutz for a 4-0 lead. An RBI single by Lehner down the right field lead strengthened the lead to 5-0.
 
The Titans got a pair of much needed runs in the top of the third. Consecutive doubles by Braeden Campbell and Randza got Westminster on the board. A one-out RBI single by Jake Dockum made the score 5-2.
 
W&J would plate single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. A RBI double by Schuler pushed across Andrew Miko (Portage, Pa./Portage) in the fifth. The lead grew to 7-2 when a sacrifice fly by Sam Schuster (Fairport Harbor, Ohio / Fairport Harding) scored Lehner. 
 
Westminster scored three times in the seventh to get themselves right back in the thick of things. A pair of errors by W&J helped the Titans close the deficit to 7-5. 
 
The Red and Black recorded an insurnce run in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend its lead back to three runs. Garth drew a walk to leadoff the frame and stole second. A single by Lehner and RBI fielder's choice groundout by Stiehl brought in Garth. W&J loaded the bases later in the frame before getting a spectacular catch in center field to rob Schuler of adding on more W&J runs. 
 
Freshman pitcher Thomas McLaren (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) picked up the win on the mound for the Red & Black. McLaren improves to 2-2 after tossing six innings. He allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits. He struck out one and walked one.

Nate Nolan (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) registering his first career save after coming in as relief in the top of the seventh. Nolan worked the final three innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits. Nolan struck out four and walked just one. 
 
Lehner led the offensive with three hits in game two. LaDuca, Lutz, and Garth followed closely behind with two hits apiece for a total of four Presidents putting up multi-hit efforts.
 
On Deck: W&J returns to action Thursday as they host PAC member Allegheny in a non-conference matchup. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park.