ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) has found many ways to help the Washington & Jefferson College baseball team earn victories throughout his accomplished four-year career. In Sunday's non-conference game at Mount Union, the senior found yet another way to lift the Presidents to a thrilling late-game win.
With the bases loaded with two outs and the score tied in the top of the ninth, Horvat stole home to give the Presidents a 6-5 victory over host Mount Union in a non-conference game in Alliance, Ohio.
Trevor Dean (San Digeo, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) led the offense with a pair of doubles and two RBI and Mason Kolbe (Bradenton, Fla./Out-of-Door Academy) tossed the final two innings to secure the win for the Red and Black.
Mount Union jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings. However, the Presidents answered with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) singled and Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) walked in front of a two-run double by Dean, who continues to thrive as the season moves along.
W&J scored three more runs in the sixth to take its first lead of the day. Lutz and Dean were right in the middle of the action again in the frame.
Lutz walked and Dean doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. With Evan Sante (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) at the plate, the Mount Union pitcher balked to bring Lutz home to tie the score at 3-3. A batter later, Joe Lehner (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) pushed the Presidents in front with an RBI single. Following a single by Logan Scheider (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny), a groundout by Brody Bartenstein (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) made it 5-3 Presidents.
Mount Union was able to tie the score once more with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Neither team was able to push ahead in the eighth inning, which set up the dramatic finish for the Presidents.
Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) led off the frame with a pinch hit single but was erased at second on a fielders choice. Two batters later, Lutz and Dean, battled to draw back-to-back walks to load the bases. With Sante at the plate and two outs, Horvat raced home and safely slid into home for the eventual game-winning run.
Jackson Denney (Atlanta, Ga./Mount Vernon Presbyterian) logged a season-high four innings to lead the Presidents' efforts on the mound. Denney allowed just one run on three hits.
Kolbe continued his impressive senior season with a pair of scoreless innings. He struck out three and allowed just one hit.
On Deck: W&J hosts Bethany College for a Presidents' Athletic Conference twinbill on Saturday, April 22. First Pitch is 1 p.m.