May 10, 2024 By Joe Tuscano 3 min read

Drew Garth doesn’t play soccer or lacrosse but that doesn’t mean he can’t make use of Alexandre Stadium on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College.

Garth, a left-handed batter and right fielder for the Presidents’ baseball team, launched a Sam Bevin fastball far over the right field fence and into the soccer and lacrosse fields that lay next to the baseball stadium at Ross Memorial Park.

Fortunately, neither a soccer match nor lacrosse competition was underway.

“Sometimes when they have soccer or lacrosse practice, we have to yell at them that our left handers are up,” said Garth.

Garth drove in two runs with that blast and would end up with two more RBI to lead W&J’s offensive attack to a 12-5 victory over Grove City Friday in a winner’s bracket game of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference’s baseball tournament.

The Presidents (31-12) advance to the championship series against Grove City. The game, weather permitting, is 1 p.m. at Ross Memorial Park. W&J will be looking for its 16th PAC title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III tournament.

Grove City would need to defeat W&J twice for the tournament title. If the Wolverines win Game 1, the championship finale will occur approximately 30 minutes after the opener.

Garth’s home run was a thing of beauty and seemed to spark the Presidents’ offense.

“I didn’t notice how far it went because I ran with my head down,” said Garth of his ninth home run of the season. “It seemed to spark the team. Everyone started to hit after that.”

W&J finished with 17 hits, making head coach Jeff Mountain’s 46 birthday a reason for celebration. Mountain, who has led the Presidents to 11 of their 15 PAC championships, was serenaded by the team in the postgame meeting along the third base line with a version of “Happy Birthday.”

“Of their first 34 hitters, we threw 24 first-pitch strikes,” said Mountain. “That’s a recipe for success.”

Leadoff hitter Jacob Laduca went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, Nolan Lutz went 2-for-2, scored twice and drove in two, Scout Zaas went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run, and Zac Stern went 3-for-3 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth that gave W&J a 12-1 lead. It was Stern’s fourth home run of the season.

“Somedays, those things happen,” said Grove City head coach Matt Royer. “You are only as good as that day’s pitching.”

Ethan Marszalek moved his record to 3-1 with eight strong innings for the Presidents. He gave up two runs on eight hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter. Bevin was pounded for eight runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“We had a nine-game winning streak stopped so we start another one,” said Royer. “You can’t get too high when you win a few or too low if you lose a few.”

Mountain had big plans for the night.

“I’m a big fan of the cookie cake,” Mountain said. “My kids got me something in advance, a cookie cake.”