WASHINGTON, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - Washington & Jefferson College won its fourth consecutive Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Baseball Tournament championship Saturday with a 12-3 victory over Saint Vincent College.

The Presidents (31-12) received 7 1/3 strong innings from senior starter Shane Fox (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area) and sophomore Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) drove in five runs to complete his Most Outstanding Player performance through the Tournament to pace the victory. 

As the PAC Championship Tournament winner, W&J earns the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. Selections for the Division III Championship are scheduled to be announced Monday, May 15 with regional preliminary round play slated for Friday-Monday, May 19-21. Regional champions will compete in the May 26th-28th Super Regionals, a best-of-three series, to determine the eight participants in this year’s Division III College World Series, scheduled for Friday-Wednesday, June 2-8. The Division III College World Series will be held at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 
 

2023 PAC Baseball Championship Tournament
Thursday, May 11
1 p.m.	Game A	No. 1 W&J 8, No. 4 Westminster 4
4 p.m.	Game B	No. 2 Grove City 6, No. 3 Saint Vincent 5
Friday, May 12
12 p.m.	Game C	No. 1 W&J 4, No. 2 Grove City 3 (10 inn.)
3 p.m.	Game D	No. 3 Saint Vincent 7, No. 4 Westminster 4
6 p.m.	Game E	No. 3 Saint Vincent 13, No. 2 Grove City 6
Saturday, May 13
2 p.m.	Game F	No. 1 W&J 12, No. 3 Saint Vincent 3

 

Friday, May 12

PAC Championship Tournament [Game F] No. 1 W&J 12, No. 3 Saint Vincent 3 Ross Memorial Park - Washington, Pa.

After Saint Vincent scored a run in the first inning, W&J took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the first and led the rest of the way in securing the PAC title with a 12-3 victory over the Bearcats ... Saint Vincent struck first in the opening inning on a two-out RBI double by junior Billy Perroz (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) for a 1-0 lead ... It was a short-lived lead, as W&J answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, as senior Trevor Dean (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) hammered a two-run homer and sophomore Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) brought in the third with a ground out to put the Presidents on top 3-1 ... The Presidents' lead grew in the second inning, as Dean continued a big day with a two-run single and W&J pushed their lead to 5-1 ... In the fourth, the lead grew by three runs when junior Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) singled in one and LaDuca blooped a two-run double down the right-field line to make it an 8-1 W&J margin ... Lutz picked up another RBI in the fifth inning with a two-out RBI single and the W&J advantage stood at 9-1 ... The Bearcats pushed a run across in the seventh when junior Alex Hess (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll) hit an RBI single but a chance for more runs ended when Lutz made a nice running catch of a foul pop up down the right field line for the third out to strand two SVC runners on base ...Saint Vincent chipped another run off the deficit in the eighth on an RBI single by senior Jordan Sabol (Export, Pa./Penn-Trafford) to make it a 9-3 score ... The chances for a Saint Vincent comeback evaporated in the bottom of the eighth when W&J struck for three more runs, as LaDuca put an exclamation point on his great tournament with a two-run single, giving him five RBIs in the game, and senior Luke Virag (New Kensington, Pa./Burrell) tripled in a run to make it a 12-3 Presidents' lead, which is how the game ended ... The winning pitcher was senior Shane Fox (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area), who threw 7 1/3 strong innings, limiting Saint Vincent to two runs, one earned, on eight hits while striking out three and walking one ... The top four hitters in the W&J line-up combined to go 9-for-18 in the game to pace a 16-hit attack ... LaDuca finished the game 2-for-4 and drove in five and was named the PAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player after finishing the weekend with seven hits and nine RBI in 16 at-bats ... Also earning All-Tournament Team honors was Fox, Dean, who had two hits and four RBIs Saturday, and senior Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford), who had three hits and scored three runs in the title game ... Lutz had a huge game in the win as well, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored ... For the Bearcats, Nicklow had three hits and scored twice and was named to the All-Tournament Team ... Perroz had two hits and his double in the game was his 17th of the season to set a new SVC single-season record ... Also making All-Tournament Team was senior Michael Klingensmith (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) and Sabol, who had an RBI single in the game.

 

Friday, May 12

PAC Championship Tournament [Game E] No. 3 Saint Vincent 13, No. 2 Grove City 6 Ross Memorial Park - Washington, Pa.

After a slow start, Saint Vincent erupted for nine runs in the sixth and seventh innings, which propelled the Bearcats to a 13-6 victory over Grove City and advance to Saturday's PAC Championship Game ... The two starting pitchers, Grove City senior Noah Cyphert (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) and Saint Vincent freshman Jeremy Kreuzwieser (Canfield, Ohio/Ursuline), kept the game scoreless through three innings before the Bearcats got on the board with an RBI single by junior Billy Perroz (Vandergrift, Pa. Kiski Area) in the fourth inning ... In the last of the fourth, the Wolverines scored three times thanks to an RBI single by senior CJ Saylor (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and a two-run homer from sophomore Shane Cato (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) ... Saint Vincent scored once in the fifth to make it a 3-2 score and then took advantage of wildness from Grove City's pitching to score five times in the sixth, with two runs coming home on wild pitches and one scoring on a bases-loaded walk for a 7-3 SVC lead ... The Wolverines got two runs back in the sixth on a two-run homer from junior Markus Williams (Sewickley, Pa./Eden Christian), but Saint Vincent took control in the seventh ... The Bearcats scored four times, which started with a Perroz RBI triple and ended with an RBI double by junior Matthew Lockwich (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) and the lead had grown to 11-5 ... Saint Vincent would plate single runs in the eighth and ninth innings to cancel out Grove City's single tally in the eighth and the Bearcats had secured the victory and the spot in the Championship game for the second time in the last three years ... The Bearcats had 14 hits in the game, including seven which went for extra bases, led by Perroz going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Lockwich finishing the day 3-for-5 with three RBIs ... Also collecting two hits in the game were sophomore Daulton Nicklow (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake), who also scored four times, senior Jordan Sabol (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford), who added a pair of RBIs, and freshman Connor Bannias (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford), who scored two runs as well ... Earning the win in relief was sophomore Sean McAleer (Sewickley, Pa./Avonworth), who allowed two runs on one hit in two innings of work ... Three Wolverines had two hits each in the defeat, including Saylor, Williams and freshman Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township).

 

Friday, May 12

PAC Championship Tournament [Game D] No. 3 Saint Vincent 7, No. 4 Westminster 4 Ross Memorial Park - Washington, Pa.

Saint Vincent senior Michael Klingensmith (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) nearly pitched a complete game and freshman Connor Bannias (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) went 3-for-3 and knocked in three to help lift the Bearcats to a 7-4 victory over Westminster ... The win puts third seed Saint Vincent into Game E against Grove City at 6 p.m., while the setback ends the Titans' season with a 20-20 record ... Runs came in spurts in this game, starting with the Bearcats (21-17) scoring twice in the second inning to take the lead ... Sophomore Daulton Nicklow (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) drove in the first run with a double and the lead grew to 2-0 on RBI single by junior Alex Hess (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll) ... That lead didn't last long, as the Titans struck for four two-out runs in the third inning ... The big blow was a three-run homer by senior Brandon Cooper (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) and an RBI single by junior Donald Shimko (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) put Westminster in front 4-2 ... The Bearcats responded immediately by pushing four runs across in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run double by Bannias ... Other RBIs went to sophomore Devin Bonine (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) on a fielder's choice and an RBI single by Hess and Saint Vincent was back on top 6-4 ... After the early scoring, the pitching regained control, as the middle three innings were scoreless on both sides ... Klingensmith only allowed two hits over those innings, while Westminster junior reliever Timothy Lewis (West Middlesex, Pa./Wilmington) matched with three scoreless frames ... The Bearcats tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning when Bannias delivered a sacrifice fly to increase their lead to 7-4 ... Klingensmith continued his roll, putting two more zeroes on the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth and took the mound in the ninth ... After Klingensmith retired the first two batters in the last inning, Westminster would get the tying run to the plate after a single and walk and Saint Vincent summoned senior Casey Jones (Georgetown, Pa./South Side Beaver) from the bullpen ... He struck out the final batter to close out the win and earn the save for Klingensmith, who recorded the win after throwing 8 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on 11 hits with four Ks and three walks ... Saint Vincent pounded out 15 hits in the victory, led by Bannias with his three hits and three RBIs, senior Jordan Sabol (Export, Pa./Penn-Trafford) had three hits and scored three runs and Nicklow and Bonine had two hits each ... The Titans totaled 11 hits in the defeat, with sophomore Braeden Campbell (Glenshaw, Pa. Shaler) delivering three hits and Cooper having two hits and driving in three.

 

Friday, May 12

PAC Championship Tournament [Game C] No. 1 W&J 4, No. 2 Grove City 3 -10 innings Ross Memorial Park - Washington, Pa.

W&J sophomore Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) belted a leadoff walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Presidents to a 4-3 victory over Grove City in Game C ... The long ball completed the Presidents' rally from a 3-0 deficit and sent W&J into Saturday's Championship Game (Game F) at noon ... The Wolverines (30-10) took the lead in the second inning on an RBI single by sophomore Shane Cato (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) that scored senior CJ Saylor (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) ... Grove City's lead swelled to 3-0 in the fifth inning thanks to small-ball action ... With runners on the corners, sophomore Luke Vittone (Seven Fields, Pa./Eden Christian) stole second and when the throw went into center field, senior Anthony Tambellini (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) trotted home from third and Vittone later scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) ... Grove City sophomore starter David Leslie (Butler, Pa./Butler) kept the Presidents off the scorebord through five innings, but W&J finaly reached Leslie in the sixth ... The first W&J run came home on an RBI double by junior Sam Schuster (Fairport Harbor, Ohio Fairport Harding), which was followed by a sacrifice fly from senior Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and then an RBI single by senior Trevor Dean (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) made it a 3-3 score after six innings ... The game was turned over to each side's bullpen from there and the relievers dominated, starting with W&J senior Mason Kolbe (Bradenton, Fla./Out-of-Door Academy) throwing four scoreless innings through the ninth ... Grove City sophomore Evan Umland (Pasadena, Calif./La Canada) matched Kolbe with three scoreless frames and the game carried to the 10th ... The Wolverines threatened by getting the first two runners on in the 10th, but a line drive double play and then a groundout following a walk kept Grove City off the board ... In the bottom of the 10th, LaDuca launched a 1-0 pitch that cleared the right-center field fence to give the Presidents the victory and berth in the title game ... LaDuca finished the game 2-for-4 with the homer and two runs scored, while Schuster was 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored ... Kolbe's four scoreless innings put the Presidents in position to make the comeback and sophomore Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) threw a scoreless 10th to earn the win ... The homer was the only run Umland allowed in his 3 2/3 innings of work, as he gave up just three hits and struck out a pair ... The Wolverines were limited to five hits, with Saylor, Tambellini and Vittone all having a hit and scoring a run.

 

Thursday, May 11

PAC Championship Tournament [Game B] No. 2 Grove City 6, No. 3 Saint Vincent 5 Ross Memorial Park - Washington, Pa.

Grove City sophomore Mally Kilbane (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Olmsted Falls) went 4-for-5, including a solo home run to start a four-run rally and then capped off the comeback with an RBI double in the eighth inning for the go-ahead run in the Wolverines' 6-5 victory over Saint Vincent Thursday ... The Bearcats took the lead with an RBI ground out in the first, but Grove City plated a pair in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run single by junior Lucca Baccari (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) ... The Bearcats tied the game at 2-2 with another RBI ground out in the fifth by sophomore Derek Hald (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area), his second of the game ... Saint Vincent went in front with a pair of runs in the sixth coming off a sacrifice fly by sophomore Kyle Belmont (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and an RBI single by junior Alex Hess (Mount Airy, Md./South Carroll), then made it 5-2 in the seventh inning on an RBI single by sophomore Devin Bonine (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) ... The Wolverines stormed back into the game in the bottom of the seventh, starting with Killbane's sole home run and later tying it at 5-5 on a two-run single by sophomore Shane Cato (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) ... Grove City retook the lead in the eighth when after an error and single put runners on the corners, Kilbane laced a ground-rule double to right-center field to score the go-ahead run for a 6-5 Wolverine lead ... Saint Vincent put a runner on in the ninth on a one-out walk, but a fielder's choice and strike out ended the game and put Grove City in the winner's bracket game Friday against Washington & Jefferson ... Kilbane's four hits fueled Grove City's 13-hit attack, while junior Markus Williams (Sewickley, Pa./Eden Christian) and senior Anthony Tambellini (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) both went 2 for 4 and freshman Nick Sampson (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) also had two hits ... Winning pitcher Evan Umland (Pasadena, Calif./La Canada) pitched two hitless innings of relief to earn the win after senior Tate Ostrowski (Essex, Mass./Covenant Christian) started and allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings with three Ks ... The Bearcats managed eight hits in the game, two each from sophomore LJ Evans (New Brighton, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) and senior Jordan Sabol (Export, Pa./Penn-Trafford), who both made outstanding catches in the outfield during the game to help the SVC cause.

 

Thursday, May 11

PAC Championship Tournament [Game A] No. 1 W&J 8, No. 4 Westminster 4 Ross Memorial Park - Washington, Pa.

After an early exchange of runs, top-seed W&J pulled away in the middle innings and fended off a potential Westminster rally in the ninth to come away with an 8-4 victory in Game A Thursday ... The Titans put the first run on the board on a solo home run by Titan junior Carter Chinn (Grove City, Pa./Grove City), but the Presidents went in front 2-1 in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by sophomore Scout Zaas (Powell, Ohio/Wellington School) and sophomore Jacob LaDuca (Clarence, N.Y./Canisius) ... Westminster went back in front in the second inning with a pair of runs, one coming off a sacrifice fly by junior Jake Dockum (Fairport, N.Y./Allendale Columbia) and an RBI single by junior Logan Murgenovich (Aliquippa, Pa./Central Valley) ... The lead swung back to W&J in the bottom of the second inning due to an error and a wild pitch for a 4-3 Presidents' lead ... The lead would stay with W&J the rest of the game, as they added solo runs in the third on an RBI double by freshman Josh Dezenzo (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) and in the fourth with a ground-rule RBI double by Zaas ... The Presidents' margin grew to 8-3 in the seventh inning with one run scoring on an error and then senior Evan Sante (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) laced an RBI double ... W&J senior starting pitcher Tyler Horvat (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) settled in after the early Westminster runs, retiring 15 straight from the second through the seventh, but the Titans scratched a run across in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by junior Chase Tomko (Hermitage, Pa./West Middlesex) to make it an 8-4 score heading into the ninth ... In the ninth, Westminster put two runners on and had the tying run on-deck when W&J sophomore Dante DiMatteo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) closed the game with a strikeout for the final out ... Horvat earned the win on the mound after throwing 7 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with two Ks and also had a pair of hits at the plate ... LaDuca paced the Presidents' 14-hit attack by going 3-for-4, while Zaas had two hits and two RBIs, Sante had two hits, drove in one and scored twice and junior Nolan Lutz (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) scored three runs ... For the Titans, sophomore Braeden Campbell (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) had three hits and scored once ... Sophomore Jake Vitale (New Castle, Pa./Union) started for the Titans and allowed five runs, four earned, and struck out three in three innings.