WASHINGTON, Pa. – A pair of home runs keyed the Washington & Jefferson College baseball team in its 10-3 victory to knock Waynesburg University out of the 2024 Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament in Thursday action at Ross Memorial Park. 
 
The win advances W&J to face either second-seeded Grove City or fourth-seeded Allegheny College Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Game H. Game G, which will open Friday action, will be an elimination game between fifth-seeded Westminster College and the Grove City/Allegheny loser at 11 a.m. 
 
The win improves the Presidents to 30-12 overall. W&J has reached 30 or more wins in 13 times under the direction of 22nd year head coach Jeff Mountain. 
 
Waynesburg finishes up at 23-19 overall. The 23 wins equaled the single-season school record high. 
 
Serving as the visitors, Jacob LaDuca (Canisius, N.Y./Clarence) would deposit the first pitch of the game over the left field fence to give W&J an early 1-0 lead. 
 
Waynesburg evened the score in the bottom of the second inning. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of a throwing error with two outs to score an unearned run. 
 
The next score would come from Waynesburg off a W&J error in the bottom of the second to even things up 1-1 before DiMatteo could strike out the final batter and exit the inning without further damage.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, a pair of doubles allowed Waynesburg to take their first lead. The two-out double by Garrett Comer scored Seth Burgdolt to make it 2-1 Waynesburg.
 
The Yellow Jackets added to its lead when a solo home run by Marcos Mendez made the score 3-1 after five innings.
 
W&J answered in a big way in the top of the sixth inning. After five strong innings by Ethan Erhard, the Presidents were able to settle in and get to the Waynesburg starter. A more patient approach paid off as the Presidents worked themselves into better hitters' counts. 

Drew Garth (Glenshaw, Pa./North Hills) was hit by a pitch to open the frame before scoring on an RBI double by Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) down the left field line. 
 
A batter later, Scout Zaas (Powell, Ohio/Wellington School) gave the Presidents the lead for good. Zaas got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and delivered a two-run go-ahead home run over the right field fence. The home run was the eighth of the season for Zaas. 
 
Zac Stern (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) followed with a double down the right field line to chase Erhard. Two batters later, Brian Feldman (Gibsonia, Pa./Eden Christian Academy) yanked one down the right field line to score Stern to stretch the lead to 5-3. 
 
A pair of walks put a pair of runners on in the seventh for the Presidents. An RBI infield single by Stern scored LaDuca to stretch the advantage to 6-3. 
 
Waynesburg threatened in the bottom of the frame. The Yellow Jackets put two runners in scoring position, but W&J relief pitcher Max Stanger(Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph Collegiate) recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and the frame. 
 
Things unraveled for the Yellow Jackets in the top of the eighth, as the Presidents scored four times to effectively put things out of reach. All the damage came after two outs. W&J got an RBI single from Garth, a two-run single by Lutz and an RBI double by John Klein (Vienna, Va./Madison). The Presidents led 10-3 after the eighth inning outburst. 
 
Garth, Lutz and Stern had two hits apiece to lead the 12-hit output. Lutz had a team-best three RBI. Seven of the 12 hits went for extra bases for the Presidents. 
 
Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) improved to 5-1 by tossing six strong innings. The junior struck out four and allowed three runs (two earned) in his first PAC Tournament start. 
 
Stanger, Nate Nolan (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) and Brandon Bastian (Barto, Pa./The Hill School) each tossed a scoreless frame out of the W&J bullpen.