W&J in finals of PAC tournament
Third-seeded Washington & Jefferson pounded out 15 hits Friday and defeated top-seeded Thomas More 11-2 to advance to the championship round of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference baseball tournament in Crestview Hills, Ky.
W&J (26-15) will be in the title round for the fifth consecutive season. The Presidents are the lone unbeaten team remaining in the double-elimination tournament. Thomas (28-10) dropped into the losers’ bracket and won a Thiel 16-12 on a walkoff grand slam.
Thomas More must defeat W&J twice today to win the conference title. The pResidents need only to win one time today. The first game begins at noon.
W&J junior right-handed pitcher Trevor Key improved his record to 6-1 with seven strong innings. The only runs he allowed came on a two-run homer by Thomas More’s Donovan Pogue in the sixth inning.
W&J scored a run in the first inning and then took control fo the game with a four-run second.
Nick Vento led W&J at the plate by going 4-for-5 with a home run. Frank Fortunado was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Mark Merlino also drove in two runs, and leadoff hitter Adam LaRue scored three times.