WASHINGTON, D.C. - No. 15-ranked Catholic baseball scored four runs in the 10th inning to complete a wild 17-13 victory over Marymount on Wednesday afternoon. The Cardinals overcame deficits of 6-1 and 9-5 in the contest and led 13-9 before Marymount forced extra innings. Now 12-2 on the season, Catholic will open up Landmark Conference play this weekend versus Susquehanna. 

The longball treated the Cardinals well in Wednesday's Pope's Cup matchup as Catholic hit five home runs including two grand slams in the comeback effort. Ben Nardi hit two homers and drove in six runs while Joe Marini hit the grand slam that put the Cardinals ahead in the eighth. The first 13 Cardinal runs all came via the home run. With two home runs today, Nardi has become the Catholic baseball all-time leader in home runs with 21. 

After the Cardinals gave up four runs to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, both teams were kept off the scoreboard in the ninth. Zach Burton led off the 10th inning for Catholic with a single through the left side. Dante Pozzi drew a walk and the Cards had two runners on with nobody out, forcing a Marymount pitching change. Marini reached on an error to load up the bases for Nardi. Saints pitcher Jordan Dickson was able to cool down Nardi and get the first out of the inning, but the Catholic lineup persisted as Lucas Malave doubled to left, scoring a pair of runs. Now leading 15-13, Michael Napolitano pinch-hit and brought in two more runs with a single to center. 

With a four-run cushion in the bottom of the inning, Brendan Martin finished things off for the Cardinals, earning the win with 2.2 innings, zero earned runs, and three strikeouts. 

Plenty of wildness ensued before the final stretch for Catholic, as they fought back from a pair of early deficits. 

Down 9-5 in the seventh, Derek Zelesnick was awarded first on catcher's interference to lead off the inning. Burton drew a walk and Pozzi singled to load up the bases with nobody out. Marini was retired, but the bases remained loaded for Nardi who pulled one over the right field wall, tying the game at 9-9 with his second homer of the day.

Zelesnick started the process in the eighth for the Cardinals, reaching first with one out on a hit-by-pitch. Burton was also hit by a pitch and Pozzi drew a walk to load the bases for Marini again. This time he came through, blasting a grand slam to right center, giving Catholic its first lead of the game at 13-9.

Catholic fell behind 3-0 in the contest before Justin McCarthy homered to left center to bring Catholic within two runs in the top of the third. The Saints extended the lead to 6-1 after five innings of play before the Catholic bats came to life in the sixth.

Pozzi drew a leadoff walk and scored on Nardi's first homer of the game, a two-run shot to bring the Cardinals within three. Steve Thomas laced a two-out double to right field before Matthew Fisher hit a two-run blast to pull the Cardinals within a run.

One week from today, Catholic baseball will host its first-ever game under the lights at Talbot Field. Prior to the game's 6 p.m. first pitch versus ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins, there will be a reception hosted by the Catholic University Athletics Board of Visitors. The reception will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Bond Family Pavilion at Carlini Field. To register for the reception, please click HERE.