WASHIINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson softball team exploded for 23 runs in its first action after nearly two weeks off in a doubleheader sweep of Grove City, winning by scores of 10-3 and 13-2 (five innings).

The Presidents improve to 6-8 overall after winning six of their last eight games following an 0-4 start. W&J also opens up Presidents' Athletic Conference 2-0.

Pitcher Taylor Andres (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) shined in the circle on the afternoon, picking up the win in both games to improve to 5-3 this year and set a new single-season wins mark for herself. She struck out a career-best 13 in the first game, which is the most in a game for W&J since Rebecca Nachreiner struck out 14 at Thiel on April 15, 2008 and tied for the most in the PAC this season. After walking the first batter in game one, Andres recorded the next eight outs consecutively by strike out. She finished the first game with a line of 7.0 innings, four hits, three runs (two earned), 13 strike outs and three walks in 122 pitches. In game two, she worked the first three innings of the five-inning night cap and gave up four hits and two earned runs, plus two strike outs. Kristen Fuertes (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) pitched the final 2.0 innings of one-hit ball, getting four ground outs and two fly outs.

Second baseman Rachel Johnson (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) posted a pair of three-hit performances to improve her batting average to .556 on the year and run her hitting streak to 14 games to open the campaign. The two three-hit showings were the fifth and sixth of the season for Johnson and give her 10 multi-hit games in 2018. She finished with three doubles and three RBI in the opener and three singles, two RBI and three runs in the night cap.

Brooke Lapia (Oakdale, Pa./Chartiers Valley) belted two home runs in game two, her first multi-homer game as a President. She drove in four runs and scored four more as part of a 4-for-6 afternoon. Right fielder Ally Doty (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) went 4-for-6 in two games with a sacrifice fly, three RBI and four runs scored, plus a stolen base. Jamie Smith (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) finished the afternoon 3-for-6 with a sac fly, double, RBI and two runs. Addy Helffrich (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth) notched a pair of doubles and drove in four runs.

In total, the Presidents collected 23 hits on the afternoon and the 13 runs in the second game were the most since also totaling 13 runs in game two of a doubleheader at Penn State-Behrend on April 13, 2014.

W&J opened up game one with nine runs in the bottom of the third after falling behind 2-0 in the top of the inning. The Presidents again trailed in the second game, yielding a run in the top of the first, but responding with five runs in the bottom of the frame and adding three in the second, four in the third and one in the fourth.

W&J is scheduled to continue PAC play with a doubleheader at Thiel at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 7, but Mother Nature, the MVP of the spring season thus far, may have different thoughts. Check gopresidents.com for the latest W&J schedule changes.