LATROBE, Pa. -- No. 19 Washington & Jefferson ran its streak of not allowing a run to 27 innings over four games by sweeping a Presidents' Athletic Conference doubleheader at Saint Vincent by scores of 3-0 and 9-0.

Senior Nick Vento (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) broke the W&J career home run record in the first inning of game one with the 23rd blast of his career. He was previously tied with Frank Quirin (2008-10) atop the list with 22. It was the sixth long ball of the season for the Presidents' right fielder, which moved him into a tie for the team lead (until that tie was broken in game two). Vento's home run in the first inning of game one put the Presidents ahead, 1-0.

In the third inning of the opener, Vento drove in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly that plated Adam LaRue (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny), who reached on a throwing error that allowed him to go all the way to third with one out. W&J added on the game's final run in the fourth when Mark Merlino (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) led off with a triple to right center and scored on a one-out single by Nick Gatins (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton).

Merlino and Frank Fortunato (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) each collected two-hit games for W&J in the opener, accounting for four of the Presidents' eight base knocks.

Trevor Kerr (Orrville, Ohio/Orrville) worked the first 6.0 innings to improve to 5-2 overall. The senior gave up five hits and struck out four with one walk. Derek Helbing (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) threw a scoreless seventh inning and allowed a hit and struck out a batter to pick up his third save of the season and ninth of his career.

Vento again drove in a run in the first inning of game two, bringing in LaRue with an RBI ground out. LaRue walked to lead off the game, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch to set up the run.

In the third, W&J added on a pair of runs that came with two outs on a Merlino double to left field. Vento and Fortunato both scored after reaching on singles. The fourth inning saw the Presidents tack on another run on an RBI infield single by Dante Dalesandro (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon), scoring Kevin Begley (Allison Park, Pa./Deer Lakes), who singled and went to second and third on separate wild pitches. Merlino's second RBI double of the game tacked on an additional run in the fifth as Fortunato scored.

LaRue chipped in an RBI single in the sixth and Helbing notched his team-leading seventh homer of the season to center to open the game up in the sixth inning and push the score to 8-0. James Artale (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) hit his second home run of the season to lead off the seventh inning and set the final margin at 9-0.

Vento and Merlino each had two hits in the night cap, with Merlino (three RBI) and Helbing (two RBI) both driving in multiple runs. LaRue stole a pair of bases to give him 10 on the season.

Riley Groves (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) tossed his fifth career shutout in the victory, putting him alone in third place on the W&J career list, one shy of making first place a three-way tie. His 23rd career victory made him 6-2 on the season as he scattered four hits and struck out four. At one point he retired 16-straight Bearcats, from the final three outs of the second inning to one out in the seventh.

The two teams are set to wrap up the season series on Sunday, April 30 at 1 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park. W&J will enter play with a 25-7 overall record and 18-2 mark in the PAC. Because of Thomas More's doubleheader split at Westminster, the Presidents can clinch hosting rights for the PAC Tournament with one victory in their final four PAC games (Sunday and a three-game series with Thiel next weekend to wrap up  the regular season).