Baseball Grabs One Win Versus Scranton
Michalski hits two homers in an inning

4/12/2008 

WASHINGTON. - The Catholic University baseball squad (14-12-1, 5-6 Landmark) split with the University of Scranton Royals (16-7, 8-3 Landmark) Saturday in the first two games of the three-game Landmark Conference series.  CUA lost the first game 8-4 but came back with a huge 17-6 victory in the second led by some solid hitting.

The Cardinals started off strong when Joe Maca (Oyster Bay, N.Y./Saint Dominic) hit a double and crossed the plate on an error in the first.  Maca then notched the sac fly in the second to give CUA a 2-0 lead.  Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to hold onto the lead due to four Scranton hits and walk in the top of the third resulting in a 4-2 score.  An error and hit in the top of the fifth just made things worse with the Cards looking at a three-run deficit.  In the bottom of the sixth, the offense attempted to rally when a single and a double made it 5-4.  After getting back in the game, the top of the seventh was disastrous with three unearned runs off of a trio of CUA errors making the final 8-4.

Despite the loss, the CUA bats were going with 11 hits to Scranton's eight.  Mike Michalski (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) led the Cards with a 2-4 performance, two runs scored and an RBI.  Kevin Sweeney (Bethesda/St. Anselm's Abbey School) took the loss on the mound and adding to the trouble were four CUA errors to just one by the Scranton defense.

CUA started the second game much like the first with four quick runs.  Two came from a double by Tommy Bowles (Davidsonville, Md./Mount Saint Joe) and the next two came on an errant throw by the Royals' third baseman as well as an error on the pitcher to make it 4-0.  The Cards kept it going in the second inning when Maca hit a shot over the left field wall with two runners on making it 7-0.  Scranton answered in the top of the third when a single and a fielder's choice brought two base runners across the plate.

A long single in the top of the fourth added one for the Royals but CUA responded in the bottom of the inning.  Leadoff Michalski crushed a ball over the fence to start off a strong inning for CUA.  Two batters later Maca's hit in the gap brought Tommy Little (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha) across the plate while Matthew Rosner (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) followed with an RBI single.  The Cardinals continued with a double by Robbie O'Brien (Columbia, Md./Long Reach) and a single from Paul Yantosh (Norristown, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) to drive in three more.  With one runner on Michalski came up and hit a homer to the same spot book ending his inning.  After eight runs in the fifth including three RBI from Michalski the Cardinals led 15-3.    

Scranton scored one in the top of the fifth but CUA came back with a run in the inning and another in the sixth after a Brad Carper (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) RBI.  Despite Scranton's two-runs in the seventh, the game was over making the final 17-6.

Maca was perfect at the plate for CUA going 3-3 with three runs and four RBI for an outstanding performance.  Michalski and Rosner were both 2-3, Michaski also had three runs scored and as many RBI.  On offense the Cardinals had 16 hits to Scranton's 10.  Defensively, Matthew Valerio (Hamilton, N.J./Notre Dame) was awarded the win on the mound after getting the start and in the field CUA committed no errors while Scranton had four.

The Cardinals will face the Royals one last time to decide the series winner on Sunday.