WASHINGTON, Pa. – A seven-run fourth inning allowed the visiting Point Park Pioneers to gain a lead it would never relinquish in a 17-7 win over the Washington & Jefferson baseball team Wednesday evening at Ross Memorial Park.
 
The loss drops the Presidents to a 2-4 overall record. The Pioneers, who are receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 poll, improve to 12-7 overall after its sixth-straight win.
 
Point Park opened the scoring with three runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. A pair of errors by the Presidents aided the Pioneers in the opening frame. 
 
The Presidents would answer in the bottom half with four runs on four hits and an error to take the lead heading into the second inning. Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y. / Canisius) opened the game by drawing a walk before stealing second base to put a runner into scoring position. Drew Garth (Glenshaw, Pa./North Hills) would drive a single through the right side to score LaDuca for first W&J run of the contest.
 
Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette) would produce a single to move Garth to second before Scout Zaas (Powell, Ohio / Wellington School) would send him to third and land safely on first due to a fielders choice. A single by Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) would score Garth to cut the deficit to 3-2. Zaas and Dezenzo would then advance an extra 90 feet on a throwing error by the Pioneers. 
 
Joe Lehner (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) followed with a two-run single to plate Zaas and Dezenzo to give W&J a 4-3 lead. 
 
Both teams would notch a run in the third inning. After the Pioneers evened the score in the top half, the Presidents regained the lead on a solo home run to deep left center by Dezenzo. 

Things unraveled for the Presidents in the top of the fourth inning. The Pioneers scored seven runs on just three hits to take a commanding 11-5 lead. The Presidents issued three walks and committed two errors during the Pioneers' outburst. 
 
Point Park added three more runs in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 14-5. A two-run homer from Chris Williams was the big blow of the inning. The Pioneers would score another run in the seventh followed by two more in the top of the eighth before the Presidents would push any runs across. 
 
W&J was able to load the bases in the bottom of the eighth on two walks and a single. W&J would then score on a walk and a RBI single by freshman Andrew Miko (Portage, Pa. / Portage), who produced an RBI single in his first collegiate at bat.
 
Neither team scored in the ninth as the game went final at 17-7.
 
Dezenzo, Garth, and Lutz all collected two hits on the evening. Dezenzo and Garth also recorded two runs and Dezenzo led the team with two RBI.
 
Freshman pitcher Thomas McLaren (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) would suffer the loss for the Presidents.
 
The Presidents host Muskingum University on Thursday, March 14. First pitch at Ross Memorial Park is scheduled for 4 p.m.