WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Washington & Jefferson College baseball bested the Saint Joseph (Conn.) Blue Jays by a score of 5-1 in Winter Haven, Fla.
 
The Presidents picked up their seventh total victory of the season boasting a 7-3 record on the year. W&J flies back to Western Pennsylvania after a 5-1 performance during the Spring Break RussMatt Invitational.
 
Leading the way for the Presidents offensively was Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) who produced another multi-hit performance. LaDuca compiled two hits on the day with a triple and single with two walks and two steals. Drew Garth (Glenshaw, Pa./North Hills), Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington), Knox Meier (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep) and Brian Feldman (Gibsonia, Pa./Eden Christian Academy).
 
After a clean top of the first inning, the Presidents remained on their first inning offensive hot streak. W&J jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning lead off by walks from LaDuca and Paddy Hernjak (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). A double by Garth ricocheted off the Blue Jay pitcher, falling through the left side to bring the speedy LaDuca home and advance Hernjak to third.
 
Briefly after, Dezenzo picked up his first hit since earlier in the week on a double off the right field fence to score Hernjak, 2-0. Meier walked to load the bases and set up a run batted in walk by Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) to cap the early scoring barrage at 3-0.
 
The Presidents saw minimal resistance through the opening two innings until the Blue Jays found their first and only score of the game on a double to right center, 3-1.
 
The 3-1 lead was held stagnant for each side until the bottom of the eighth inning where the Presidents tacked on two additional insurance runs. Meier broke the five-inning scoring drought with an infield hit to the shortstop on a slow grounder. A double poked down the left field line by Feldman scored pinch runner Rhys Arnold (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) from second. LaDuca trotted back out to the plate to knock a hard hit single into right center to score the final runoff the contest, 5-1.
 
Ethan Marszalek (Katy, Texas/Seven Lakes) dealt in his second outing of the Spring Break trip. Marszalek shoved in 7.0 innings of work, fanning nine Blue Jay batters. Reliever Brandon Bastian (Barto, Pa./The Hill School) picked up his second save of the season in the final 2.0 innings.
 
The Presidents return to action in Pennsylvania after a restful weekend in a nonleague game against Division II Point Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.