WASHINGTON, D.C. - Catholic baseball opened up the 2024 campaign with a 6-0 defeat at the hands of 19th-ranked Salve Regina in game one of the Matt Kurkjian ALS Awareness Invitational on Friday afternoon. 

Steve Thomas and Dante Pozzi each recorded two hits while Cormac Terry pitched 6.0 innings in relief for Catholic. Thomas and Pozzi each reached base three times, adding a walk to their respective score sheets while sophomore catcher Michael Napolitano drew a walk. 

Sean Mulligan earned the win for Salve Regina, pitching 6.0 scoreless innings and striking out seven. Kyle Carozza picked up the save with 3.0 scoreless innings of relief work. Evan O'Rourke racked up four hits and drove in three runs while preseason All-American Christian Homa added three hits and an RBI. 

The Seahawks used a four-run second inning against Catholic starter Camden Mounts to break the game open. Salve Regina did much of the damage with two outs as Matt D'Amato scored on a two-out single from Michael Breen. A walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for O'Rourke who drove in two with an RBI single. Homa drove in the fourth run of the inning with a single up the middle. 

The Cardinals had the bags full in the bottom of the inning after a Thomas double and walks drawn by Pozzi and Napolitano, but Mulligan got Justin McCarthy to fly out to end the inning.

Terry was strong in relief, striking out three and allowing just five hits in his six innings out of the bullpen. Danny Prior replaced Terry in the ninth and struck out one without allowing a hit. 

Catholic faces off with Western New England tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m.