WASHINGTON, Pa. – For the second consecutive day pitching was the story in a victory at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament for the Washington & Jefferson College baseball team.
Chase Perry (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Nease) worked seven strong innings to propel the second-seeded Presidents (30-11) past fourth-seeded Bethany College (26-16) by a 10-1 score in Game F of the 2026 Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament at Ross Memorial Park.
W&J has reached 30 wins in a season for the 14th time in program history. All such occasions have come under the guidance of 24th year head coach
Jeff Mountain.
Perry struck out six and walked just one while logging a collegiate-high 103 pitches during the outing. The senior allowed just one run on five hits as he moved his record to 2-1 this season.
Paddy Hernjak (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) continued his strong showing in the conference tournament. Hernjak registered his second-straight multi-hit game with a 4-for-5 effort in Thursday's game. He has six hits in eight tournament at-bats.
Keegan Carr (Irwin, Pa./Norwin / Indiana University of Pennsylvania) and
Teddy Platt (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) also turned in multi-hit efforts while
Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) reached base four times, scored twice and produced two RBI.
Jack Anderson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) finished with three RBIs.
Per the NCAA postseason manual, the Presidents served as the road team for the game. W&J wasted little time in pouncing on Bethany starter Marco Gonzalez, who struggled with his command in the opening frame.
Four-straight Presidents reached to start the game. Following a leadoff single by
Keegan Carr (Irwin, Pa./Norwin / Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Gonzalez hit
Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) and issued a four-pitch walk to
Luke Alvarez (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) to load the bases.
Andrew Miko (Portage, Pa./Portage) drew a bases loaded walk to score Carr for the game's first run. A sac fly by Anderson scored Dezenzo to make it 2-0. A wild pitch by Gonzalez scored Alvarez and a sac fly by
Seth Rosenfeld (Ellicott City, Md./Long Reach) stretched the Presidents' lead to 4-0 after the top of the first. The Presidents benefited from four walks, an error and a wild pitch in the opening frame.
The Bison put a pair of runners on base in the second inning. However, Perry was able to escape unscathed to keep Bethany off the scoreboard.
More erratic pitching from Bethany allowed W&J to tack on another run in the top of the third inning. After recording two quick outs, Hernjak sparked things with a single through the left side. Back-to-back four-pitch walks to Platt and Carr loaded the bases. Dezenzo earned the RBI the hard way as a 1-1 pitch hit him to score Hernjak. The Bison were able to limit the damage, as W&J left the bases loaded. In the bottom half, Bethany got on the board with an RBI single to cut the W&J lead to 5-1. Perry was able to strike out a pair to end the threat and strand a pair of Bison in scoring position.
W&J manufactured a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 7-1. Dezenzo and Alvarez reached via hit by pitch and a bases loaded walk to open the inning. Following a bunt hit by Miko to load the bases, back-to-back sac flies by Anderson and Stern helped W&J add to its lead.
The Presidents tacked on runs in the eighth and ninth innings to put the game out of reach. Anderson tacked on an RBI single in the eighth while Carr added an RBI single in the ninth.
W&J scored 10 runs on 11 hits as the Red and Black proved opportunistic offensively. W&J recorded five sac flies, which ties the NCAA Division III record for a single game.
Tommy McLaren was equally effective in relief. The junior recorded the final six outs to back Perry's stellar outing. McLaren recorded three strikeouts.
W&J will face sixth-seeded Chatham University in Friday action at the PAC Tournament. The Cougars have earned wins over Westminster and Allegheny during the opening two days of the tournament. The Presidents and Cougars will face off in Game H at 2:30 p.m. The winner of the winner's bracket final will advance to Championship Saturday at Ross Memorial Park.
