WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.  — The Catholic baseball team had an opportunity to pick up its second sweep over a Landmark opponent in a Sunday matchup against Lycoming. In a back-and-forth contest, the Cardinals came up with three runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead and the bullpen held on for the final innings to win 9-7 to improve to 20-16 on the season. 

Catholic once again struck in the first inning to gain an early lead in the top of the first. Steve Thomas led the game off with an infield single and Joe Marini followed up with a walk to put two runners on for Mitchel Johnson. Johnson brought in the game's first run with an RBI single into left center field to score Thomas. Dante Pozzi kept the early rally going with a line drive single into center field to score Marini to put the Cardinals on top 2-0.

Both teams had success offensively in the third inning as the Cardinals plated three more runs in the top of the inning on six hits to take a 5-1 lead. Johnson and Pozzi singled with out in the inning to set up Sammy Burman with two runners on base. Burman ripped a ball over the fence for a three run homer for his fourth round tripper of the season. The game was tied up by the Warriors in the bottom of the inning as they capitalized off a couple errors from the Cardinals to score four runs to tie things back up at five.

Catholic immediately regained the lead in the top of the fourth inning after Justin McCarthy led the inning off with an infield single and moved up to third after a fielding error on a ball hit by Thomas. Johnson notched himself another RBI by poking a single into center field to bring McCarthy in to score to take the lead back 6-5.

After Lycoming tied things back up with a run bottom of the sixth inning, Catholic's offense once again hung a crooked number in the top of the seventh to take a late three-run lead. Johnson and Pozzi started the inning off with back-to-back doubles to bring in the first run of the inning. Pozzi came in to score in the next at-bat on an error from the Warriors left fielder and Joe Haines smoked a ground rule double to left field to bring Burman in to score to extend the lead to three for Catholic.

After a run was scored by Lycoming in the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals turned the ball over to Jack Scholz out of the bullpen who stranded runners at first and third in the inning by striking out a batter and inducing a fly ball out into center field. Scholz then set the side down in order in both eighth and the ninth inning to earn his second save of the season and close out a 9-7 win for the Cardinals to move to 11-10 in Landmark play.

Inside the Box Score

• The Cardinals offense pounded out 17 hits in the win on Sunday which is the second-most hits they have had in a game this season and the 17th time the team has had double-digit hits in a game this season. 
• Both Thomas and Johnson recorded four hits in the game to lead the team. It was Thomas' second four-hit game of the season and the first for Johnson. The first four hitters in the Catholic lineup combined to go 11-for-18 with five RBI in the win.
• Pozzi recorded two more RBI in the win to bring his total to 31 RBI in 21 conference games this season which leads the Landmark. He also continues to lead the team in RBI with 39 and he is one of just two players on the team with 50+ hits this season.

The Cardinals final series of the regular season will start off on Saturday, May 3 when they will play a doubleheader with Drew. First pitch for the first game is set for 12 pm at Doc Young Field.