MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - After a rainstorm across the east coast wiped Catholic's initial plans of a doubleheader with Johnson & Wales, the Cardinals pivoted, picking up a 5-3 win over Hilbert College on Saturday afternoon. 

Day one of the Ripken Experience in South Carolina proved to be an eventful one for the Cardinals as they started the day thinking they had two games with JWU on the docket. However, with heavy rains in the forecast and scheduled travel for Johnson & Wales, Catholic was able to book a game with Hilbert on Saturday morning, scheduled for a 3 p.m. start. 

Danny Fitzgerald and Joe Marini were the catalysts to victory for Catholic as they walked away with a 5-3 win in Myrtle Beach. Fitzgerald went 6.0 innings, scattering six hits and allowing just one run to earn his first win of the season. The veteran right-hander struck out eight in the victory. Marini made it two straight years with a massive impact in Myrtle, crushing a three-run homer that would prove to put Catholic in the winning position. 

Hilbert struck first in the top of the second inning, as Dustin Hendrix and Jack Duffek both singled to lead things off. Fitzgerald induced a fielder's choice, but Jairo Santos stole second, putting two runners in scoring position for Alex Ellison. Ellison singled up the middle, scoring Hendrix, but Fitzgerald wiggled out of the jam with only one run allowed. 

Catholic responded with a bang in the bottom of the second, pushing four runs across home plate. Baron Dichoso was hit by a pitch to lead the inning off before he moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Justin McCarthy. Matt Perlin drew a two-out walk and Derek Zelesnick followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Dichoso. Now tied at 1-1, Marini stepped up and unloaded on a 1-2 pitch, bringing Perlin and Zelesnick home with a three-run shot to make it 4-1 Catholic. 

Fitzgerald continued to mow through the Hilbert lineup, striking out three batters in-a-row in the top of the fifth after allowing a lead-off single. Fitzgerald went one-two-three in the sixth to make it six straight batters retired. 

Catholic scored its fifth and final run in the bottom of the sixth, pushing a run across off reliever Johnyray Hasfurter. Perlin started a two-out rally with a double to left, his first career hit. Zelesnick drew a walk and on ball four, Hasfurter sailed one past his catcher. With a deep backstop, Perlin was able to score all the way from second to make it 5-1. 

Fitzgerald came back out for the seventh, but ran into trouble, allowing a hit and a hit-by-pitch, bringing Roman Tozzi into the contest. Tozzi struck out the next three batters to keep the score 5-1. 

Hilbert added a pair of runs in the eighth, making it a two-run game, but Tozzi overcame and closed out the victory. Billy LoBello hit a double to open the top of the eighth and advanced to third on an error by Dichoso, allowing Nolan Evans to reach. LoBello scored on a wild pitch before Hendrix singled to score Evans. Tozzi would retire six of the next seven batters to earn a save in the 5-3 win. 

No Cardinal had a multi-hit game, though Michael Napolitano doubled, drew a walk, and was hit by a pitch. Zelesnick singled and drew two walks while Perlin scored both times on base for Catholic. Tozzi struck out four while earning the three-inning save, 

Catholic returns to action tomorrow against the McDaniel Green Terror. First pitch is slated for 12:30 p.m.