WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The Catholic baseball team started off a weekend series against Coast Guard with a doubleheader at Talbot Field on Saturday afternoon, looking to build off the 5-2 start to the season. The Cardinals collected their first split against the same team of the season in today's doubleheader. 

GAME ONE - Catholic 7, Coast Guard 5

After the Bears scratched across a run in the top of the first inning to take the lead, the Cardinals responded after Matthew Fisher and Lance Eilbacher kicked off the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles. Sammy Burman immediately brought them both in to score when he ripped a double to left center field to bring in both runners. Chase Falcon also came up with a two-RBI double to the same gap later in the inning to extend the Catholic lead to 4-1 after the first.

Coast Guard scored its second run of the contest in the top of the third before Jack Elwell led-off the bottom of the inning with a single through the left side of the infield. Elwell got himself into scoring position by stealing second and Matt Perlin cashed in with a base hit back up the middle to bring Elwell in to score to make it a 6-2 game.

Burman continued his hot spell at the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning to start the inning when he belted a pitch over the left field fence to extend the lead to 7-2. It was Burman's third home run of the season and the second he has hit to opposite field. 

The Bears put up three runs over the fifth and sixth inning to pull the deficit back within two when the Cardinals decided to turn things over to Will Hanson out of the bullpen. Coast Guard brought the go-head run to the plate but Hanson settled things down and recorded three outs, including Catholic cutting down a runner trying to break for the plate to hold on to the two-run advantage.

Hanson continued to lock things down in relief for the Cardinals as he got through three scoreless innings to hold on to a 7-5 lead. He picked up a pair of strikeouts during his outing and turned things over to Jack Scholz to try to close out the ninth inning. After a walk and a single put the tying run on base for the Bears, Scholz stayed composed and induced a game-ending 6-4-3 double play to lock down the victory, 7-5, for his fourth save of the season.


GAME TWO - Catholic 7, Coast Guard 9

After falling in the first game, Coast Guard came out hot, scoring two runs in the top of the first off of Catholic's starter Charlie Belli. Despite the early trail, Catholic's bats answered in the bottom of the inning. Burman once again swung the hot stick, hitting an RBI double to score Gabriel Ruiz. Burman scored when Chase Falcon poked a ball through the right side. The Cardinals added their third run of the inning when the Bears' shortstop made the choice to get Falcon out at second, allowing Chris Esquivel to cross the plate.

Coast Guard struck again in the top of the third. The Bears' Nate Stafford singled and then scored off of Max Van Auken's double. The Bears added two more runs in the top of the fourth, leading the Cardinals 5 to 3. 

The Cardinals, now trailing for the second time in the game, needed to string together some offense. Perlin started the offensive rally in the bottom of the fourth with a single out to right field. Michael Napolitano also collected a single, this time up the middle. With Cardinals now on first and second, La. Elibacher stepped up to the dish. With a 1-1 count, the junior sent one sailing over the left field wall. With his third homerun of the season, La. Elibacher gave the Cardinals the 6-5 lead. 

Unfortunately, the Bears once again answered in the top of the fifth, tying the game at six runs. Coast Guard regained the lead in the top of the sixth with a solo home run from Carson Cho, but Ruiz hit a homer of his own over the left field fence to even the score at seven.

In the top of the eighth, the Bears locked in their victory with two more runs off a double down the right field line. Catholic fell to Coast Guard 9-7, going 1-1 on the day.

Inside the Box Score
 

• Burman led the Cardinals on the day with four hits, recording two doubles and a home run. Burman also led with four RBI and three runs across both games.
• La. Eilbacher and Falcon each had three hits on the day and three RBI. 
• La. Eilbacher and Perlin each picked up a stolen base, while Elwell logged two on the day.
• The Cardinals recorded 10 hits against the Bears in game one of the doubleheader, making it the fourth time this season the offense has recorded 10+ hits.

Catholic will be back in action on Robert J. Talbot Field on Sunday, March 8. First pitch is set for noon against Coast Guard.