AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team (8-2) picked up two victories to cap the 2026 RussMatt Invitational at Lake Myrtle Park. The Presidents opened the day with a 7-4 victory over Rochester (7-3) and capped the trip with a 13-1 mercy rule victory over Mount Saint Mary (N. Y.) (3-7).
Game One – W&J 7, Rochester 4
The W&J offense was led by
Andrew Miko (Portage, Pa./Portage) with his second consecutive three-hit performance, going 3-for-4 on the morning with a double and a run batted in.
Keegan Carr (Irwin, Pa./Norwin / Indiana University of Pennsylvania),
Jack Anderson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) and
Teddy Platt (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) all contributed a hit.
Rochester got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning, 1-0. W&J responded with a three-run top of the second inning to take the lead. A couple of two-out errors from the Yellow Jackets third baseman allowed W&J to score their first runs of the game, 2-1. Platt tripled to right center to scored a speedy
Rhys Arnold (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) from first, 3-1.
Miko drove in the Presidents' fourth run of the morning in the top of the third inning to elevate the lead to 4-2.
After Rochester added a run in the bottom of the seventh to reduce the W&J lead to one, the Presidents scored three insurance runs to grow their advantage to 7-3.
Seth Rosenfeld (Ellicott City, Md./Long Reach) batted in Miko from third on a sacrifice flyout to start the seventh-inning scoring. A Carr single to the second baseman drove in
Tommy Dietrich (Davidsonville, Md./DeMatha Catholic). On the same play, a fielding error from the Yellow Jackets allowed Platt to make a move towards home and score the team's seventh run, 7-3. The Presidents allowed one run in the final two innings to take the 7-4 victory.
Anthony Pass (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) started his third game for the team this season and moved to 3-0, powering the team to its seventh victory of the season. The senior hurler pitched 7.0 innings with 12 strikeouts, tying his career-high in punchouts.
Brendan Cruz (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley) pitched an inning of relief to set up the save opportunity in the ninth.
Luke Alvarez (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) pitched efficiently in the bottom of the ninth and collected his first collegiate save.
Game Two – W&J 13, Mount Saint Mary (N. Y.) 1
Tyler Maddix (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) and Tyson Leech each finished the game with three hits and three RBIs.
Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) had two doubles in the second game of the day. Seven additional Presidents had at least one hit in game two.
After giving up a run in the bottom of the first inning, W&J responded in the third inning with six runs, 6-1.
Ethan Septak (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford) and Leech walked in runs and Maddix smacked a double to center field to score two baserunners. Platt capped the run with an RBI groundout.
W&J added three additional runs in the fourth inning to grow the lead to 9-1. Maddix hit his second double of the day in the inning.
The Presidents concluded their scoring in their second game of the day in the fifth inning to go up 13-1.
Liam Sayer (Berwyn, Pa./Westtown School) picked up his first career hit as a President on a two-RBI single to elevate the team past the 10-run mercy rule. The Presidents maintained the double figure advantage to coast to the seven-inning victory, 13-1.
Ben Pierce (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) picked up the win in 1.0 inning pitched with one strikeout. Seniors
Nate Ratica (McKeesport, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) and
Andrew Sokol (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon Area) each pitched the sixth and seventh innings to close out the contest.
W&J baseball returns to the great state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday (March 18) for a single nonconference matchup with the Oberlin Yeomen. First pitch at Ross Memorial Park is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
