Box Score WASHINGTON - The Catholic University of America baseball team topped the University of Scranton 13-7, on Wednesday afternoon after splitting the opening double header of the three-game Landmark series.
The Cardinals traveled back to Scranton, Pa., midweek for the nine-inning contest, originally slated for Sunday, April 3 that was postponed due to weather. The first two games of the league series were played Saturday, April 2.
The Cardinals started the game with back-to-back two-run innings. In the top of the first, freshman Bailey Lewis brought home senior John Palladino just before scoring on a Royals fielding error. In the top of the second, Palladino hit a 2-RBI single to score junior Wyatt Schmidt and senior Andrew Stewart, advancing the Cardinals to four runs.
The Royals would not surrender as they brought four across the plate in the fourth inning to tie the game. Catholic answered with an RBI single from sophomore Jake Crist in the top of the fifth, but Scranton brought two more home in the bottom of the inning
Trailing 6-5 after five innings, the Cardinal bats came alive. Catholic tallied six hits and four RBIs in the top of the sixth to take a significant lead. After hits from sophomore Danny O'Hagan and Schmidt, sophomore Matt Hsiung entered the game as a pinch hitter. Hsuing lobbed a 2-RBI double into centerfield to regain the Catholic lead and came across the plate when senior Stefan Poggioli hit a double into right field. Crist brought home Poggioli on a single up the middle to cap off the Cardinal scoring for the inning.
That wasn't the end for the Cardinal offense. The Royals notched another in the bottom of the seventh, but with four Catholic runs in the top of the eighth, the Cardinals secured the conference victory.
Poggioli led off the inning with a solo homer over the center field fence. Before the Royals could end the inning, Crist, O'Hagan and Lewis each made it across the plate due to Scranton fielding errors.
With a blank ninth inning, the Cardinals left the Electric City with a 13-7 victory and 2-1 in their conference series against the Royals.
Junior Karan Sinha made his fifth start on the mound for Catholic. Senior Joe Kelly entered for relief, pitching 3.1 innings with six strikeouts for his second win in 2016. Freshman Collin Brown along with juniors Mark Duffy and Joseph Salzano each threw for the Cards the final 2.1 innings.
The Cards will head to Selensgrove, Pa, for their next Landmark Conference. They will face the Scranton University Crusaders in a double header on Saturday, April 9, beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a nine-inning game at noon on Sunday, April 10.
