Baseball Comes Back in 7-6 Victory
Cards overcome six-run deficit

3/11/2008

WASHINGTON - The Catholic University baseball team won its home opener in a 7-6 nailbiter as the Cards had to overcome a six-run deficit to get the victory. CUA defeated the Messiah College Falcons (3-5) to improve to 3-4 on the season and snap a four-game losing streak. The Cardinals put together a solid all-around performance with all nine starting batter registering a hit in the contest.

Patrick Quintana (Denver, Colo./Littleton) knocked a one-run single to left field in the bottom of the first making it 1-0 but the Cards wouldn't hold the lead for long. CUA allowed six runs in a disastrous second inning in the field putting the Cards deep in the hole after five Messiah hits in the at bat. The offense got one back in the third thanks to a pair of doubles from Joe Maca (Oyster Bay, N.Y./Saint Dominic) and Joe Devine (Medford Lakes, N.J./Shawnee) at the top of the order but that was as much as they could do as the defense buckled down to hold off Falcon attacks.

With chances running out, the Cardinal offense finnaly staged a comeback in their final three at bats. In the sixth, a trio of hits brought two runs home and in the seventh Tommy Little (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha) crossed the plate thanks to an RBI from Mike Goodman (Brookville, Md./Sherwood). The defense allowed just four batters in the top of the eighth giving the offense one of its final opportunities to take the lead. Christopher Healing (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) walked to lead off and was brought to third by a hit from Tommy Bowles (Davidsonville, Md./Mount Saint Joe). A balk by the Falcon pitcher tied it up and two batters later a single from Little brought Bowles across to plate to take the lead and give CUA the 7-6 win.

Bowles and Little each had two hits on the day while Devine had a pair of runs scored. Both teams managed 10 hits but Messiah had one more error. On the mound, the five CUA pitchers combined for five strikeouts.

The Cardinals travel to McDaniel tomorrow for a contest against the Green Terror.