GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team (13-2, 4-0) ran its winning streak to nine games with a doubleheader sweep of the Thiel Tomcats (3-13, 1-3) on Tuesday afternoon in Presidents' Athletic Conference play in Mercer County. The Presidents held on for an 8-6 victory in game one before taking game two by an 8-3 score over the Tomcats.

Game One: W&J 8, Thiel 6

The Presidents built an early lead and held on for an 8-6 victory in Tuesday's opener to run its winning streak to eight-straight games.

Jack Anderson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) paced the Presidents offensively with a three-hit effort in the opener. Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) and Teddy Platt (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) added two-hit games. Keegan Carr (Irwin, Pa./Norwin / Indiana University of Pennsylvania) reached base four times out of the leadup spot with a hit and three walks.

After a scoreless first inning, W&J scored in six-straight frames on its way to victory. The Presidents manufactured a run in the second, as Seth Rosenfeld (Ellicott City, Md./Long Reach) led off with a single before eventually scoring on a sac fly by Tommy Dietrich (Davidsonville, Md./DeMatha Catholic), which gave the Presidents a 1-0 lead. The Tomcats took advantage of two errors by the Presidents defensively to score two runs in the bottom half of the frame. The lead was short-lived for the Tomcats, as the Presidents scored twice in the third and fourth innings.

Five-straight Presidents reached base to start the third inning. Zac Stern (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) drew a bases loaded walk and Andrew Miko (Portage, Pa./Portage) followed with an RBI infield single to help the Presidents regain the lead at 3-2. In the fourth, Platt led off with a double and later scored on a one-out RBI double by Anderson. Stern followed with a sac fly to score Dezenzo to stretch the lead to 5-2.

The Presidents manufactured another run in the fifth. Tyler Maddix (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) drew a one-out walk, stole second and eventually scored on a sac fly by Platt. The Tomcats tallied a run in the bottom of the frame to put the Presidents lead at 6-3 after five innings.

Aided by a pair of doubles by Dezenzo, W&J extended its lead to 8-3 following single tallies in the sixth and seventh innings. Dezenzo doubled and scored on an RBI bases loaded walk drawn by Rosenfeld in the sixth. Dezenzo doubled home Carr in the seventh.

The Tomcats scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Presidents' lead to 8-6. Thiel loaded the bases in the eighth, but Luke Alvarez (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) entered from the bullpen and slammed the door. Alvarez nailed down the victory and his second save of the season by recording five-straight strikeouts to end the game.

Bobby Budacki (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton Area) picked up the win for a second-straight start. The junior right-hander worked five innings, allowing three unearned runs, on five hits. Budacki struck out the side in the third inning to highlight his outing. Brady Dojonovic (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) and Alvarez combined to work 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Game Two: W&J 8, Thiel 3

Four Presidents registered multi-hit games in game two. Anderson was included in that mix with two hits to finish with five for the doubleheader. Dezenzo, Stern and Alvarez added two-hit efforts as the Presidents claimed the sweep.

W&J scored in each of the first three innings in game two. The Presidents scored twice in the first. Alex Shank (McDonald, Pa./Canon-McMillan) drew a walk to lead off the game before stealing second base. Shank eventually scored on an RBI single by Anderson that gave the Presidents an early lead. Later in the inning, Miko scored Dezenzo on an RBI groundout.  

Singles by Platt and Dezenzo helped the Presidents tack on another run in the second. Miko and Alvarez singled in front of a two-run single by Carl Wagner (Honey Brook, Pa./Westtown School) that moved the Presidents' lead to 5-0 in the third.   

An RBI single by Alvarez scored Stern in the sixth inning to move the W&J lead to 6-0.

The Tomcats cut the Presidents' lead in half with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Thiel took advantage of five walks in the inning to work itself back into the game.

W&J tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning. An RBI double by Stern scored Paddy Hernjak (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). Rosenfeld added a sac fly later in the frame to conclude the score.

Chase Perry (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Nease) earned the start and tossed four scoreless innings. Perry allowed just one hit and struck out three Tomcats. Justin Giarrusso (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum), Max Stanger (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph Collegiate), Thomas McLaren (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) and Nate Nolan (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) all posted scoreless relief appearances to preserve the lead.

W&J returns to action with a home doubleheader against Waynesburg University on Saturday (March 28). First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park.