WASHINGTON, Pa. – Derek Helbing (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) hit two home runs while Matt Heslin (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) pitched a complete game shutout as the two led the No. 17 Washington & Jefferson baseball team to a game two win and doubleheader split against Mount Union on Tuesday afternoon, May 2, in nonconference action.
 
The Presidents' record now sits at 27-8 overall on the season as Mount Union is now 28-9.
 
Adam LaRue (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) led off the bottom of the first inning in game two of the doubleheader, but exited the game after being hit by a pitch. After Mullen Socha (Independence, Ohio/St. Ignatius) replaced LaRue at first, Helbing singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Frank Fortunato (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) put the Presidents on the board with a three-run home run to right field, his seventh of the season.
 
Neither team was able to scratch a run across home plate for the next three and a half innings until Helbing connected on his ninth home run of the season, a solo home run to left field.
 
The homer for Helbing was his second of the doubleheader while his mark of nine long balls this season not only leads the team, but places him in sole possession of fourth place on the W&J single season home runs list.
 
W&J added its fifth and final run in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Sciullo (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) scored from third on a wild pitch. Sciullo led off the inning with a double down the left-field line and then advanced to third on a ground out.
 
Heslin pitched his first career complete game and his first career shutout, earning the win in game two (3-0), to help the Presidents to their fifth shutout in the last six games and seventh of the season, tied with the 2013 team for the second most in program history. Needing only 74 pitches for the shutout, Heslin allowed just four hits in the game and did not walk a batter while striking out five, three in the final two innings.
 
Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the second inning of the first game, Sciullo singled up the middle with two outs and came home on the next pitch when Nick Gatins (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) sent his fifth home run of the season over the right field fence, giving W&J a 2-1 lead.
 
Helbing extended the lead in the bottom of the third inning when he led off with a solo home run to center field. Nick Vento (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) followed that up with a single to left and then scored two batters later on a Mark Merlino (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) single to center, giving the Presidents a 4-1 lead.
 
The Purple Raiders responded by scoring seven runs on six hits in the top of the fourth and another two runs on two hits in the top of the fifth to regain the lead, 10-4.
 
Vento singled to open the bottom of the fifth, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then came in to score when Merlino doubled down the left field line to get a run back.
 
After Mount Union scored three more times in the top of the seventh (13-5), the Presidents started a last inning rally when Merlino walked after Fortunato reached on a fielder's choice to short. Sciullo then singled to left-center field, plating Fortunato, and Gatins singled to center which allowed Merlino to get to third and score on an error by the center fielder.
 
Helbing tallied five hits on the day (5-for-7), including his two home runs and a double, and drove in two runs and scored three times. Sciullo finished 4-for-7 between the two games with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Vento and Gatins both recorded three hits on the day as Vento scored twice and stole a base while Gatins drove in two runs.
 
The Presidents will close out the nonconference portion of their schedule on Wednesday, May 3, when they host Frostburg State at 4:30 p.m.

Highlights:
Gatins helps the Presidents to their first lead of the day with his fifth homer of the season:

BA: Nick Gatins hits his fifth home run of 2017, a two-run shot to give W&J a 2-1 lead over Mount Union in the 2nd #prezpride #d3b pic.twitter.com/3qaZ45wTq0

— W&J Athletics (@wjathletics) May 2, 2017

Helbing adds to the lead with a solo home run, his eighth of the season

BA: Derek Helbing blasts his team-leading eighth home run of the season over the center field fence! W&J up 3-1 in the 3rd #prezpride #d3b pic.twitter.com/MAnW1fH8Ec

— W&J Athletics (@wjathletics) May 2, 2017

Fortunato's seventh long ball of the season gives the Presidents an early 3-0 lead in game two

BA: Frank Fortunato hits his 7th home run of the season, a three-run bomb to right. Presidents up 3-0 after 1 inn. in game 2 #prezpride #d3b pic.twitter.com/wD4MYpwneV

— W&J Athletics (@wjathletics) May 2, 2017

Helbing's second home run of the day moves him into fourth place on the W&J single season home run list

BA: Derek Helbing with his 2nd home run of the day, 9th of the season (4th most W&J history), gives the Presidents a 4-0 lead #prezpride pic.twitter.com/qEZwaavpjP

— W&J Athletics (@wjathletics) May 2, 2017