WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team (26-9, 16-2) split with the visiting Chatham Cougars (16-20, 8-10). The Presidents were blanked by the Cougars in game one, 4-0, before bouncing back in game two with an 8-2 victory.
 
Drew Garth (Glenshaw, Pa./North Hills) led the Presidents offensively on the day with three hits and two runs batted in. Garth was the sole W&J batter to register a hit in each game.
 
Game 1 – W&J 0, Chatham 4
The Cougars jumped ahead early against the Presidents, mustering a four-run first inning.
 
W&J was without a baserunner until the bottom of the fourth when Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) drew a walk and Knox Meier (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep) picked up the first hit of the game.
 
Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) and Garth had a hit each in the closing innings, not being able to produce any consistent offense as Chatham carried the four-run lead to the bottom of the ninth for the game one victory.
 
Ethan Marszalek (Katy, Texas/Seven Lakes) picked up the loss with 8.0 innings pitched and six strikeouts. Ben Pierce (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) pitched the ninth inning in relief.
 
Game 2 – W&J 8, Chatham 2
Despite a slow start to the nightcap, W&J found its stride offensively, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Zac Stern (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) drove in a run off of a single to center field while Dezenzo scored on miscues by the Cougars fielders, 2-0.
 
The Presidents added four more runs in the sixth. Teddy Platt (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) and LaDuca scored the first two runs of the inning, followed by a two-run single by Garth to push the Presidents' lead to 6-0.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, W&J added two insurance runs by way of a passed ball that score Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) and an RBI single by John Klein (Vienna, Va./Madison), 8-0.
 
Chatham added their first two runs of the game in the top of the ninth to no avail as W&J coasted to the 8-2 game two victory.
 
Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) showcased his dominance on the mound with a complete game, pitching 9.0 innings without allowing an earned run with seven strikeouts. DiMatteo elevates his season record to 8-0 with a 0.79 ERA.
 
W&J manages a rapid turnaround, traveling to play the Marietta Pioneers on Sunday (April 27). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.