WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson baseball team pounded out 15 hits to score 14 runs in a 14-6 nonconference victory over Muskingum on Wednesday, April 11.
 
The win moves the Presidents to 15-9 on the year while the Muskies fall to 11-13.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, W&J loaded the bases on three straight singles. A fielder's choice in the next at-bat plated Mullen Socha (Independence, Ohio/St. Ignatius), giving Mark Merlino (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) an RBI to get the Presidents on the board. The next hitter, Justin Griffin (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East), walked to move Merlino to second who then raced to third on a wild throw to second from the catcher which also allowed Dan Trettel (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) to score from third and tie the game, 2-2.
 
Griffin then advanced to second on a wild pitch before Dante Dalesandro (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) drove both runners in on a single up the middle. Joey Bolick (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) tallied the final RBI off the frame when he doubled to right field and bring in Dalesandro.
 
W&J added three more runs in the second as Trettel reached on a one-out single and then was driven in when Ryan Sciullo (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) doubled down the left field line. Merlino then brought Sciullo home as he sent the next pitch to deep left field for a double. Two batters later, Spencer Howell (Oakwood, Ohio/Oakwood) drove in Merlino on a single to right center.
 
With the score at 8-2 heading into the bottom of the third, the Presidents looked to add a few more insurance runs. Luke Zahren (Ingomar, Pa./North Allegheny) reached on a lead-off walk before Socha hit a long home run to center field, his first of the season and second of his career.
 
In the fourth, the Presidents added one more on a single from Dalesandro that allowed Howell to cross home after Howell had reached on a one-out double.
 
The final three runs came in the seventh on an RBI hit from Trettel, an error and a wild pitch.
 
Trettel and Sciullo led the team with three hits apiece, and Trettel also scored a game-high three runs. Socha, Dalesandro and Howell rounded out the multi-hit players with two each and combined for six RBI, including three from Dalesandro. Three other Presidents tallied a hit to account for W&J's 15 total, the third most in a game this season for the Presidents.
 
Ben Marsico (Bradfordwoods, Pa./North Allegheny) earned the win with 6.0 innings of work. He allowed four runs (two earned) and fanned three batters on the way to his third win of the year. Tanner Gaerke (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder), Michael Zito (Nashville, Tenn./Hume-Fogg) and Will Bowser (Burgettstown, Pa./Madonna (W.Va.)) pitched the final three innings and combined to give up two runs with Bowser pitching a perfect ninth inning.
 
The Presidents will return to action on Thursday, April 12 as they travel to No. 21 La Roche for a 4:30 p.m. nonconference game.