WINCHESTER, Va. - A two-run homer by graduate student Billy Duke powered the Catholic University baseball past host Shenandoah Saturday in the Winchester Regional of the Division III Baseball Championship.

With the win, the Cardinals (31-12) tie the school record for wins in a season with 31, equaling the mark set by the 2018 team that won a Landmark Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional with a 31-15 record.

It also marked Catholic's seventh win in eight one-run games this season. Since falling to Montclair State, 19-18 on Feb. 27, the Cardinals have won seven in-a-row. Montclair State also earned an at-large bid to this year's NCAA tournament.

Leading by one in the sixth, freshman Matthew Fisher was hit-by-pitch to lead off the bottom half of the inning before Duke pinch-hit for senior Tommy Antonucci. On the first pitch he saw, Duke drove the ball deep to right center to give the Cardinals a 6-3 lead with his sixth home run of the season.

The blast proved to be the difference in the game as the ODAC champion Hornets (35-11-1) would answer with their own two-run homer in the top of the seventh as Pearce Bucher also hit his sixth of the year to pull the hosts within one.

However, led by freshman Cody Bosak and senior Matt Tesoriero, Catholic managed to get Shenandoah to strand the tying run in scoring position in each of the Hornets' final two offensive innings. The duo retired six of the final eight batters, allowing just one hit and one walk.

With runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the ninth, Tesoriero retired the next three batters via popout, flyout and ground out to earn his second save of the season. He also finished 2-for-4 with a run scored at the plate.

Nine players combined for 11 hits for the Cardinals while six scored one run each. Freshman Dante Pozzi also had two hits, going 2-for-5 with a run to extend his on-base streak to 36 games.

Sophomore Cormac Terry picked up his second win on the mound after pitching 2.2 innings in relief of senior Jack Zaffiro. Zaffiro went four-and-a-third, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six.

Catholic advances to Sunday's regional championship game where it will face the winner between Shenandoah and St. Joseph's (L.I.). The Cardinals have never faced the Golden Eagles.