ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Thanks to seven combined runs in the fourth and fifth innings, Washington & Jefferson downed Mount Union, 8-5, in nonconference baseball action.

The victory moves the Presidents to 22-14 overall behind an eight-game winning streak that began on April 23 with a doubleheader sweep of Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Saint Vincent. Mount Union drops even to 18-18 on the year.

Mount Union opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the third, but W&J responded with three in the top of the fourth. Adam LaRue picked up the Presidents' first hit of the day with a bunt single to lead off and went to third on Derek Helbing's single through the right side. After Helbing stole second, Nick Vento supplied a sacrifice fly, 1-0. Helbing came in to score on Ryan Sciullo's two-out single to right and, after advancing to second on a passed ball, Sciullo crossed home on a Mark Merlino double to center, 3-1.

The Raiders got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, but W&J moved the lead to 7-2 in the top of the fifth. Michael Ruffing singled with one out and LaRue was hit by a pitch, his team-leading seventh HBP this year. A single by Helbing loaded the bases and forced a pitching change. Vento welcomed the new pitcher by delivering a two-run single, and Frank Fortunato followed with an RBI single, advancing to second on an error that also allowed Vento to score.

In the top of the eighth, Fortunato tripled to left center to lead off and scored on Merlino's ground out to short, 8-2. The hosts got a run in the eighth and two in the ninth, but Helbing came in and got the final out to pick up his sixth save of the season.

Helbing, Vento and Fortunato all recorded two hits, with Vento driving in three and Helbing and LaRue scoring twice. Merlino also contributed a pair of RBI.

Garrett Harstine earned the win, improving to 3-0 in his rookie campaign, tossing the third and fourth innings and allowing two runs on five hits. Nick Kolat didn't yield a run over the first two frames, while Matt Heslin tossed a scoreless 3.0 innings with a pair of strike outs. Tim Mulvey was responsible for three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings and Helbing secured the save after just 0.1 inning.

W&J will host No. 17 Frostburg State (Md.) at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, before a weekend PAC series against Thomas More.