WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 9, 2024) – The Waynesburg University baseball team had its successful 2024 campaign ended with a 10-3 defeat to Washington & Jefferson on the second day of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament on Thursday.
The Jackets conclude their season with a 23-19 record, matching the program's single-season wins record. W&J advances in the PAC Tournament with a 30-12 record.
The Presidents, who were designated as the visiting team, took a 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning by Jacob LaDuca. After a W&J single, Waynesburg starter
Ethan Erhard (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield) retried the next three batters to close the half inning.
After leaving a runner stranded at third in the first, the Jackets knotted the game at one in the second.
Trent Giraffa (Hanover, Pa. / Delone Catholic) scored an unearned run a throwing error off the bat of
Garrett Comer (St. Albans, W.Va. / St. Albans). Waynesburg left runners on second and third in the frame.
Erhardt retired the Presidents in order in the second and third innings. A hit batter put a runner on in the fourth but was promptly thrown out attempting to steal by
Seth Burgdolt (Taylorstown, Pa. / McGuffey).
The Jackets took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with Comer ripping a two-out double down the third-base line to plate Burgdolt.
Marcos Mendez (Ponce, Puerto Rico / Westminster (Md.)) launched a solo home run in the fifth to grow Waynesburg's lead to 3-1. W&J responded quickly as the Presidents knocked three doubles and a two-run home run in the top of the sixth. W&J scored four runs in the inning to take a 5-3 advantage and tacked on another run in the seventh.
Waynesburg used a hit batter, walk, errant throw on a pickoff and a passed ball to put runners on second and third with one out in the seventh. Back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning without the Jackets putting a dent in W&J's lead.
The Presidents pulled away with four more runs in the eighth. After two quick outs, a hit batter and walk were followed by three-straight run-scoring hits. W&J led 10-3 when the final out of the inning was recorded.
The Jackets were unable to put together a comeback bid over the final two innings as the Presidents took the 10-3 victory.
Erhard surrendered just one run over the first five innings. He final line included five-plus innings, five earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Dalton Mount (Sykesville, Md. / Westminster) and Burgdolt each had two hits. Comer drove in a pair with his double and Mendez homered.
Waynesburg stranded 11 baserunners in the ballgame. Seven of W&J's 12 hits went for extra bases.
