EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. - Despite holding a 6-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning, Catholic fell 13-6 to Wilkes on Sunday. The Cardinals were in search of their eighth straight victory, but an 11-run inning pushed the Colonels to victory. Catholic dropped to 20-8, 10-5 on the year while Wilkes improved to 19-7, 10-5.
Both teams scored a pair of first-inning runs against starting pitchers
Cody Bosak and Wilton Abreu.
Logan Eilbacher drove in
Steve Thomas who was hit by a pitch to open the game.
Zach Burton drew a walk with the pair advancing into scoring position as Thomas swiped third and Burton moved up behind him. After
Jesse Lacefield walked,
Sammy Burman laced a single up the middle to score Burton and give Catholic a 2-0 lead. The Colonels answered back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run single off the bat of Zach Luksic.
The Cardinals pulled back ahead in the top of the second inning with
Mitchel Johnson driving in
Justin McCarthy with a sacrifice fly to center field. McCarthy was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, advanced on a
Matt Perlin single, and stole third put himself in position to score the Cardinals' third run of the game.
A three-run fifth put Catholic in the lead by four with Bosak cruising on the mound. Burton and Johnson singled, but Eilbacher bounced into a double play to wipe Johnson off the bases. With two outs and Burton on third, Lacefield singled to center to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead. Next up, Burman launched a two-run blast to right, extending Catholic's lead to 6-2.
The wheels unfortunately came off in the eighth, leaving Bosak with a no-decision. The junior had his second consecutive strong Sunday start, allowing just three hits and one earned run in 7.0 innings. Bosak struck out six Colonel hitters.
Eddie Kaftan was the first pitcher up for Catholic in the eighth, but two walks, a single, and a throwing error made it a 6-4 game.
Ross Natoli called for graduate right-hander
Brendan Martin to come on in relief of Kaftan and Martin immediately got out number two, trading the run for an out to make it 6-5. However, back-to-back triples tied the contest before a throwing error put the Colonels ahead 7-6. Two singles later, Martin was forced from the game with Catholic trailing 8-6.
Ryan O'Keefe entered and gave up a two-run double before another error let in the 11th run of the game. O'Keefe induced a fly out after two more runs crossed to end the 11-run inning.
Burman and Perlin each had three hits for Catholic, combining for six of the team's 10. Perlin added his fourth double of the season and had an eight-hit weekend for Catholic while Burman homer was his second of the year and first since March 10.
Catholic will face Elizabethtown in a crucial Landmark Conference contest on Tuesday.
