GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College baseball team dropped an 11-5 decision to visiting Washington & Jefferson in Presidents' Athletic Conference action Monday afternoon at R. Jack Behringer Field. Rain shortened the game to eight innings.

Grove City grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third when junior first baseman Reese Swatsworth (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) and sophomore DH Travis Royer (Elverson, Pa./Twin Valley) both cracked run-scoring singles.

W&J cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning, then assembled an eight-run fifth frame to take the lead. Grove City countered with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth, however. Senior third baseman Matt Corner (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock) helped ignite the outburst by singling in senior second baseman John Rende (West Homestead, Pa./Central Catholic). Junior left fielder Josh Hodges (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) followed with a two-run single that scored Corner and Swatsworth.

Swatsworth finished 3 for 3 while Rende went 2 for 3 and scored twice. Hodges and Royer also had two hits each.

Freshman pitcher Andrew Taylor (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) started and pitched into the fifth. He allowed two earned runs over four innings and took the defeat. Freshman Johnny Ross (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) closed the game with two scoreless innings of relief. Freshman Tim Flynn (Marco Island, Fla./Seacrest Country Day), junior Pete Garthwaite (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline) and junior Kenny Saltsman (Salem, Ohio/Salem) all pitched in relief.

W&J improved to 23-12 overall and 18-2 in the conference. The Presidents will host next week's conference tournament, having clinched the top seed.

Grove City (9-22, 7-15 PAC) will host conference foe Westminster Tuesday at 3 p.m.