NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College baseball team (17-5, 8-2) picked up its first losses on the season in Presidents' Athletic Conference play to the Westminster Titans (18-6, 9-1). The Presidents were shutout in game one by a score of 4-0 before dropping a 4-3 verdict in extra-innings in game two.
 
Game One – Westminster 4 – W&J 0
 
The Presidents opened the series cold offensively, registering five hits in the opener. Reigning two-time PAC and D3baseball.com player of the week Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) led W&J in game one, going 2-for-4 from the plate with a double.
 
W&J had chances in the opening innings of the conference clash, leaving three runners on base. The Titans got ahead in the bottom of the fourth inning off a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Westminster found their stride in the later innings by scoring one run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The W&J offense was held at bay until the top of the ninth inning, featuring base hits from Dezenzo and Andrew Miko (Portage, Pa./Portage). A groundout halted the late momentum for the Presidents en route to their first loss in conference play.
 
Chase Perry (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Nease) picked up his first loss of the season, pitching 5.2 effective innings with two strikeouts. Thomas McLaren (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) and Justin Giarusso each pitched inning of relief.
 
Game Two – Westminster 4, W&J 3
 
Tommy Dietrich (Davidsonville, Md./DeMatha Catholic) led the way for W&J in game two, going 2-for-4 from the plate with one run batted in. Luke Alvarez (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) and Teddy Platt (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) each went 1-for-4 with one RBI in the nightcap.
 
The Presidents continued their offensive dry spell in game two, going down early to the Titans 2-0 after the first inning.
 
Alvarez broke the 14-inning scoring drought for the Presidents in the top of the fifth with a solo home run on a full count, 2-1. Westminster responded with a homer of their own in the bottom of the sixth to enlarge their lead to 3-1.
 
W&J managed to claw back into the game with a two-run seventh inning. Four singles helped W&J push two runs across the plate, off the bats of Dietrich and Platt, 3-3.
 
The draw at 3-3 after nine complete innings took the game into extra-innings. Following a clean 10^th inning from both teams, the Titans managed to walk off the victory with a two-out single in the bottom of the 11^th frame, 4-3.
 
Nate Nolan (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) got the start in game two, pitching 6.0 innings with four strikeouts. Jake Stiehl (Reston, Va./South Lakes) and Luke Alvarez (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) each pitched scoreless outings. Alvarez went the longest out of the relivers with 3.0 innings on the bump with four punchouts. Max Stanger (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph Collegiate) was credited with the loss.
 
W&J looks to reset on Thursday (April 9) with a nonconference single game with the Oberlin Yeomen at Ross Memorial Park. First pitch in Washington is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start.