BEAVER FALLS, Pa. -- The Presidents capitalized on 10 hits and six walks to take game one of the weekend series from Geneva, 9-2, at 33rd Street Field.
With the win, the playoff-bound Washington & Jefferson baseball team improves to 23-14 overall this season, moving into an eighth-place tie in single-season program wins with the 2008 squad. W&J is also 14-8 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The Golden Tornadoes slip to 13-25 this year and 5-17 in PAC games.
It took just two batters for the Presidents to plate their first run of the game as
Anthony Paladino drove in
Gannon Rooney from second in the top of the first inning.
Nelson McKown singled with one out and runners on second and third to put W&J ahead, 2-0.
The GT's manufactured a run in the fourth following a lead-off double to cut the margin in half, 2-1. W&J got the run back in the top of the sixth when
Ryan Sciullo tripled to center and scored on
Nick Morton's sacrifice fly two batters later, 3-1.
In the top of the seventh, W&J broke the game open with three runs. Rooney walked and advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt before stealing third base. Paladino again brought home the center fielder with an RBI single. With one out,
Kyle Smith singled to put runners on first and second and McKown reached on an error to load the bases. Sciullo brought in Paladino on a sacrifice fly and then Smith came in when McKown was caught in a rundown between first and second, 6-1.
After the Presidents added an insurance run in the eighth, Sciullo launched a two-out, two-run homer to center, his second of the season, to cap the scoring in the game.
Riley Groves improved both his PAC-leading ERA (1.29) and win total (8-1) by going 8.0 innings and allowing eight hits and two runs (one earned) with six strike outs and a walk. On the season, the Pitcher of the Year candidate has a 42:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio and his ERA would currently be the best in program history (Boyd Wass, 1.40, 1992).
Sciullo posted both of W&J's extra-base hits on the day, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Paladino plated two runners and scored two more in going 2-for-5. Morton also added two hits and an RBI on the day, while
Michael Ruffing walked twice to go with a 1-for-3 showing.
The Presidents wrap up the series and regular season with a doubleheader against Geneva at Ross Memorial Park on Saturday, May 2. The twinbill is slated to start at 1:00 p.m., with Senior Day recognition beginning at 12:45 p.m.
