HANOVER, Md. — The Catholic baseball team opened the week with a ranked matchup on Tuesday afternoon against No. 11 Kean who came into the week 12-1. The Cardinals offense exploded for their highest run and hit totals of the season to come away with a comfortable 17-8 win to improve to 6-4 on the season.

The Cardinals found themselves down 5-0 after the top of the first inning, but answered back with a three spot in the bottom of the inning to make it a 5-3 game. Joe Marini came up with a two-out double to start off the scoring followed by a two RBI base-hit up the middle from Dante Pozzi to pull within two.

The Cougars grew the lead back up to five in the top of the next inning but the Cardinals offense once again responded after Sammy Burman punched a single through the right side of the infield to bring in two runs and Pozzi picked up another RBI on a walk to once again pull within two.

After the first scoreless half inning of the game in the top of the third, Mitchel Johnson stepped into the box with two runners on and two outs with a chance to put Catholic on top for the first time. Johnson smacked a three-run homer over the wall in left field to put the Cardinals on top, 9-8, a lead that they would hold onto for the rest of the game. Marini tacked on another run to the lead the very next inning with a solo shot of his own for his first of the season to double the Catholic lead to 10-8.

A crooked number in the bottom of the sixth inning allowed the Cardinals to open up a comfortable six run lead. Burman cashed in with another RBI single to start the scoring off, followed up by Logan Eilbacher's two RBI single and Marini's RBI groundout to extend the lead to 14-8.

Catholic tacked on three more runs in the seventh for good measure started off by an RBI double from Steve Thomas. Jack Elwell darted home on a wild pitch and Burman once again came through with an RBI knock to make it 17-8.

The Cardinals bullpen combined to shutout the Cougars over the last 7.1 innings pitched including a combined 12 strikeouts to lock things down and lead the Cardinals to their first ranked win of the season, 17-8.

Inside the Box Score

• In his three innings in relief, Xander Douglas punched out a career-high eight batters while only allowing two hits in his outing. 
• Johnson's home run was his team leading third homer of the season as he finished the day 3-for-5 with three RBI. Burman and Elwell also had three hits in the game with Burman driving a season-high four runs 
• The Cardinals 17 runs are the most scored by the team this season and it was their third game with 10+ hits this season.

The Cardinals take on the Cougars once again tomorrow at Babb Field in Baltimore, Md.. First pitch is slated for 12 pm.