MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The Catholic University baseball team opened its South Carolina spring break trip by splitting a same-day doubleheader with Rochester (N.Y.). Freshman Dante Pozzi registered hits in both games while sophomore Jesse Lacefield provided heroics to give Catholic a huge victory in the first game.

Game 1: Catholic 5, Rochester 4

Lacefield smashed a walk-off grand slam to propel the Cardinals to a massive victory in the seven-inning first game of the doubleheader.

The sophomore, who entered the game to play first base in the top of the seventh, stepped in for his first at-bat with his team trailing by three and down to its final out. He got a hold of the first pitch of the at-bat, blasting it over the right field wall to power Catholic an epic victory.

Senior Tommy Antonucci got the rally started for the Cardinals, singling to center field to start the inning. Things were looking promising when senior Conor Casey followed with a pinch-hit walk, but quickly turned grim when a foul out and a line out eliminated any Cardinal margin of error. 

Graduate student Billy Duke then produced a mature at-bat, walking the bases loaded to get the winning run to the plate. That's when Lacefield seized the opportunity to blast Catholic to an improbable victory. 

Junior Tucker Alch started on the mound for the Cardinals, allowing four hits and one earned run in six solid innings of work. He struck out six.

The yellow jackets got off to a hot start, platting a run before Catholic recorded an out. Aaron Whitley led off the game with a single, stole second base and scored on a single after Alch faced just two batters.

However, Alch did well to bounce back, striking out the next two batters and eventually escaping without any further damage. In the next five innings, he allowed just two hits and no runs.

Catholic responded in the bottom of the second, when Pozzi led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Graduate student Michael Doody followed with a single to score Pozzi and tie the game, 1-1. 

Yellow Jackets starting pitcher Colby Custer was also effective, allowing four hits and just the one run. He struck out three in 4.1 innings of work.

The game remained tied until Rochester came to bat in the top of the seventh. After senior Jack Zaffiro relieved Alch to start the inning, Rochester were able to earn a leadoff walk and then a bunt base hit. After a strikeout, Zaffiro walked another yellow jacket to load the bases. 

They plated three after a two-run single and a sacrifice fly, stretching the lead to 4-1 before Lacefield would ultimately break Rochester hearts. Sophomore Danny Fitzgerald entered the game to get the final two outs for Catholic.

Fitzgerald earns his first win of the season, while yellow jacket reliever Jake Larson gets the loss after pitching the bottom of the seventh and blowing the save. 

Game 2: Rochester 7, Catholic 4

Catholic couldn't complete the sweep of the doubleheader, falling short in the second game.

Sophomore Camden Mounts started on the mound for the Cardinals, pitching three innings and allowing four runs, three earned.

The yellow jackets got off to a hot start when Whitley led off the game with a walk and eventually stole home to put them ahead. They utilized the long ball to extend their lead to 2-0 with a solo home run in the bottom of the second.

Catholic responded immediately, when senior Matt Tesoriero plated Antonucci with a single to right field. Freshman Matthew Fisher, who advanced to third on the single, then scored when junior Ben Nardi reached base on a throwing error to tie the game.

Rochester hit back to retake the lead for the final time when they plated two in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the fourth, Fisher continued his strong performance at the plate, singling in a run to cut the gap to one. The freshman catcher went 2-for-4 on the day, with one run scored and one driven in. 

Rochester (3-1) added one in the bottom of the fourth and two in the sixth, before senior Peter Giombetti hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the top of the ninth inning as the game ended 7-4.

Sophomore Cormac Terry was a bright spot for the Cardinals, allowing three runs (one earned) on only one hit while striking out 11. Freshman Lucas Malave tripled in his only plate appearance.

Mounts suffered the loss while yellow jacket starter Jason Cobert won his first game of the season.

Catholic (4-5) gets a day off before it returns to action on Tuesday, facing Gwynedd Mercy. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.