TOWSON, Md. - Catholic sophomore right-handed pitcher Sam Fairhurst was dominant on Sunday afternoon, helping the Cardinals to a 9-0 victory over Wilkes to earn Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in his career. 

After Catholic dropped the opening two games of the series to the Colonels, Fairhurst stepped onto the mound on Sunday and ensured that the Cardinals would come away victorious. The Virginia native pitched 8.1 innings scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out an astonishing 17 batters to earn his third victory of the season. 

Fairhurst surpassed Jon Mierzwa (15) for the most strikeouts by a Catholic pitcher in the Landmark Conference era and also broke Moravian alum Brendan Close's (16) record for strikeouts in a Landmark Conference contest with his 17 punch outs on Sunday. 

The sophomore struck out eight batters in a row between the third and sixth innings, including striking out the side in the fourth and fifth. Fairhurst also recorded three strikeouts in the sixth, sandwiched around one of Wilkes' three hits on the day. 

Fairhurst has now made four starts on the season and appeared in six contests, pitching to a 2.37 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. In his last two contests, Fairhurst has struck out 25 batters in 14.1 innings, allowing just two runs in that stretch.