Washington and Jefferson athletics photo

WASHINGTON, Pa. – Junior captain Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) smacked a two-run go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the top-seeded Washington & Jefferson Presidents to a 4-2 victory over second-seeded Grove City Wolverines Saturday in the 2024 Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship at Ross Memorial Park.

The PAC Championship is the fifth-straight for the Presidents. W&J has won 16 conference titles in program history. The title is the 12th during head coach Jeff Mountain's 22-year tenure.

W&J has now won an unprecedented 16-straight games in PAC Tournament play. The Presidents have advanced through the winner's bracket and remained unbeaten in five-straight conference tournaments.

LaDuca delivered in the tournament's most pivotal moment for a second-straight year. The junior, who helped propel W&J past Grove City in the 2023 winner's bracket final with a walk-off home run, came to the plate with a runner in scoring position and the game tied at 2-2 in the seventh inning Saturday. After quickly getting behind in the count, LaDuca fouled off several pitches to stay alive. LaDuca eventually lifted a ball over the right field fence to give W&J a 4-2 lead.

After retiring the Wolverines in order in the top of the first inning, the Presidents were the first to see a scoring opportunity as two errors in the first inning put the Presidents in business. However, a fly out and strike out would allow the Wolverines to exit the inning unscathed.

The Wolverines created their own scoring chance in the next frame as they quickly put the first two runners on base with a single to left center and a hit by pitch. LaDuca would keep Grove City from reaching the next base, or possibly scoring a run as he made a great defensive play and erase the lead runner at third base. Freshman pitcher Bobby Budacki (New Brighton, Pa. /New Brighton) induced a pop up and a strikeout to strand the runners on base.

A one-out double by Sam Bevin would put Grove City in business once again in the top of the third inning. Caison Holland followed with a single to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead.

Bevin added to the Wolverines lead with a solo home run over the left field fence. The Bevin blast made it 2-0.

W&J was quick to answer with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) led off with a single before giving way to pinch runner Paddy Hernjak (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). After a groundout on the infield moved Hernjak to second, Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) was hit by a pitch.

Ben Schuler (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) came through with a clutch RBI single right up the middle to make it 2-1. LaDuca then produced an RBI groundout to plate Schuler for the tying run at 2-2.

After five innings of work from Budacki, head coach Jeff Mountain implemented a pitching change bringing in sophomore Nate Nolan (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) to finish out the game.

Although both teams would tally a hit in the sixth and put runners on base, neither team could plate the go-ahead run. Grove City put runners on the corners in the seventh, but W&J escaped after a diving defensive play and throw on to first by Cruz.

LaDuca's go-ahead home run was preceded by a two-out double by the nine-hole hitter Schuler. The home run gave the Presidents their first and only needed lead in the Championship game. Nolan retired the order in both the eighth and ninth innings to secure the title.

Called upon in one of the season's biggest moments, Budacki allowed two runs on four hits in five strong innings. Budacki struck out two and walked none.

Nolan tossed four scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season. Nolan struck out a pair, walked two and allowed two hits.

Schuler led the Presidents with a pair of hits.

By virtue of claiming the PAC's automatic bid as PAC champions, W&J will play in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for an 11th time. Selections for the Division III Championship are scheduled to be announced Monday, May 13 with regional preliminary round play slated for Thursday-Monday, May 16-20.