WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Catholic University baseball team battled back to earn a walk-off victory over Juniata on Sunday afternoon, securing a sweep of its first conference series of the season.
Steve Thomas played hero in the 11th inning, pushing a fly ball just deep enough into center field with the bases loaded to ensure Jack Elwell could beat the throw to the plate and secure the wall-off win for Catholic. Thomas picked up two hits on the day and scored one run in addition to his clutch RBI.
Juniata got out to the perfect start, pushing across a run before a Catholic hitter even stepped into the batter's box. After lead-off batter Dakotah Snyder worked a full-count walk, he advanced to second on a groundout before scoring on a bloop single to right field.
Working against Catholic starting pitcher Luke Cardman, the Eagles added three more in the top of the fourth courtesy of two homers. Michael Warren pushed one over the right-field wall that just stayed fair as it hugged the foul-pole. Then, after Cardman issued a walk, Tim Coleman kept one fair down the left-field line to extend the visitors' lead to 4-0.
Zach Burton offered an immediate response for Ross Natoli's men in the bottom of the inning, smashing a moonshot of a home run to left-center field. The graduate student got ahold of the second pitch of the at-bat, blasting it so far that it caromed off of the top of the Talbot Field scoreboard.
With Cardman's day done after 4.0 innings, focus shifted to the Cardinal bullpen. The relief pitchers answered the call at a high level, holding Juniata at four runs and preventing the Eagles from building on their lead.
Catholic slashed into that lead in the seventh to pull within one. Thomas led off the inning with a single before Mitchel Johnson worked one of his three walks on the day. With one away, Jesse Lacefield took the first pitch of his at-bat to right field for a double to score Thomas and push Johnson to third base. Lacefield then advanced and Johnson scored on a Derek Gehr balk, but Juniata protected the one-run lead when Lacefield was tagged out trying to score on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals threatened again in the eighth and ultimately drew level. After a four-pitch walk to Burton to begin the inning, he advanced on a wild pitch before scoring on a fielding error by the Eagle center field who misplayed a hard-hit ball by Joe Marini. The Catholic threat wasn't over at that point as the Cardinals were able to load the bases but Juniata worked out of the jam to salvage its position at 4-4.
After neither team scored in the ninth, the teams proceeded to extra innings where Catholic did its best to end the game in 10th. Again the Cardinals loaded the bases and again Derek Zelesnick came to bat, this time with one out. But the Catholic second-basemen popped up a squeeze bunt attempt and the Eagles were able to double up the runner at third to escape a very dangerous situation.
For the third time in four innings, Catholic loaded the bases in the 11th. Elwell was struck with the first pitch of the inning before Dante Pozzi successfully sacrificed to advance the runner. Burton was intentionally walked before pinch-hitter Liam Walsh worked a walk to apply the ultimate pressure to Ari Lonstein on the mound. This time, Catholic was successful, as Thomas did the business with the fly ball to center field.
Mac Meara played the role of the longman, relieving Cardman to the tune of 3.1 innings pitched and five strikeouts. Ryan O'Keefe entered to get the final two outs of the eighth inning, and did so in the most efficient way possible, only facing one batter as he induced a ground-ball double play to end the inning.
Usual closer Brendan Martin entered to hold the opponents in the ninth inning and remained on to do the same in the 10th before freshman Antonio Tufano pitched the 11th. The freshman did not allow a hit and earned the first win of his collegiate career for his efforts. The Catholic bullpen combined for 7.0 innings pitch, nine strikeouts, only three hits and allowed no runs.
With the win, Catholic moves to 11-3 overall and pushes its win streak to six consecutive games. The Cardinals will look to continue the momentum as they welcome Landmark Conference foes Elizabethtown on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
