WASHINGTON, PA. – Junior outfielder Drew Garth (Glenshaw, Pa./North Hills) knocked an RBI single to deep left center to help lift Washington & Jefferson College baseball to a 6-5 walk-off win over sixth-seeded Thiel College Wednesday afternoon in Game A of the Presidents Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
The win elevates the Presidents to a 29-12 overall record while Thiel drops to 15-23 overall.
 
This year's double-elimination tournament is in a six-team, four-day format for the first time.

W&J advance to face either Waynesburg or Allegheny on Thursday, May 9 at 2:30 p.m. The Presidents face the loser of the Waynesburg and Allegheny contest. 

The Tomcats will face fifth-seeded Westminster College will play in the first elimination game tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Anthony Pass (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) and Thiel starter Alec Katon were strong early. Both Pass and Katon breezed through three scoreless innings.

The first real threat of the game as well as the tournament would come in the third inning from the Tomcats. A one-out single to center field and a two-out double put The Tomcats in business, with two in scoring position and two outs. However, Pass was able to induce a groundout to third to escape the jam. 

Despite a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame from freshman Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley), W&J was unable to put any runs on the board, leaving the game scoreless heading into the fourth inning.

Thiel ripped off three-straight singles to load the bases to open the fourth. Pass struck out the next batter for the inning's first out. However, Pass suffered some tough luck when an infield single that deflected off his glove allowed each runner to move up 90 feet and give the Tomcats a 1-0 lead. Cole Sherwin followed with a long fly ball to deep left center that Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) was able to track down but brought home a second run on the sac fly to make it 2-0.

The Red & Black would answer with three-straight one-out singles of their own. Scout Zaas (Powell, Ohio/Wellington School), Zac Stern (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour), and Joe Lehner (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) singled consecutively to put W&J on the board. An RBI single by Lehner scored Zaas for the first run. Brody Bartenstein (Corning, N.Y./ Corning-Painted Post) followed with a fielder's choice to send Stern across and tie things up 2-2 heading into the fifth inning.

Pass would throw another three up and three down inning to turn things to bring W&J back to the plate. A double and stolen base from Jacob LaDuca (Canisius, N.Y./Clarence) would put a runner in scoring position for Garth, who delivered an RBI double to make it 3-2 for the Presidents' first lead of the game.

Thiel would use a two-out RBI single by Aidan Ochs to draw the score even at 3-3 in the top of the seventh.

W&J would take advantage of a lead-off walk by Cruz, who moved to second base on a successful sac bunt by Ben Schuler (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette). LaDuca, the 2023 PAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, came through with an RBI single to plate Cruz for a 4-3 W&J lead. LaDuca then stole second, avoiding the tag with a nifty move. LaDuca then moved over to third on a groundout before scoring on a passed ball that made it 5-3. 

The Tomcats threatened in the eighth inning. The visitors put the first three runners on without the benefit of a hit. That triggered W&J veteran head coach Jeff Mountain to call upon senior Ethan Boring (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley) to try to escape the jam. Ochs greeted Boring with an RBI single to left center to cut the Tomcats' deficit to 5-4. Boring did a nice job to limit the damage, as he recorded three-straight outs to maintain the one-run advantage. 

After the Presidents had a potential insurance run stranded at third base in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Tomcats quickly tied the score with a leadoff double and an RBI single to even things at 5-5. Boring retired three-straight Tomcats to escape without further damage. 

Brian Feldman (Gibsonia, Pa./Eden Christian Academy) pinch hit for the Presidents to lead off the inning and would reach first on a hit by pitch. Sophomore Eli Kite (McKeesport, Pa./Serra Catholic) would then pinch run for Feldman. Schuler would once again move the runner into scoring position with a successful sacrifice bunt.

A throwing error on the next play would allow LaDuca to land on first base. LaDuca was initially ruled out but after a conversation between the three-man umpire crew overturned the call, as they ruled the Allegheny fielder was pulled off the first base bag. Garth then followed with a game-ending RBI walk-off single to deep left center field. The Garth hit scored Kite for the game-winning run. 

Boring would record the win on the bump for the Red & Black. The win was the first of the season for Boring. The senior allowed one run over two innings. 

Pass allowed three runs over six innings of work. Pass scattered nine hits while striking out six Tomcats. 

LaDuca, Garth and Zaas finished with two hits apiece to lead the Presidents.