WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The Catholic baseball team looked to complete its first conference sweep of the season on Sunday afternoon after taking both games in the doubleheader against Moravian on Saturday. The bats came to play for the Cardinals on senior day as the team pounded out 15 hits to score 16 runs to come away with a decisive 16-5 victory over the Greyhounds to improve to 17-14 on the season.

The offense immediately grabbed hold of the game in the first three innings as the Cardinals put up a crooked number in each frame to take a commanding 8-0 lead in the early stages. The tone was set from the first inning when Catholic brought in four runs on four hits after Chris Esquivel started the rally with a lead-off walk. Matthew Fisher notched the first RBI of the inning with a base-hit back up the middle before Gabriel Ruiz picked up two RBI's with a base-hit through the left side to extend the lead to three. Michael Napolitano recorded the final knock of the inning with a single to right field to score Lance Eilbacher to make it a 4-0 game.

After a Matt Perlin walk and Sammy Burman single, Fisher collected his second hit of the contest with a triple up the alley in right field to bring both runners to the plate. Jack Bateman and Esquivel both drove in runs with ground outs in the bottom of the third to push the lead up to nine.

Luke Cardman held Moravian in check on the mound for Catholic, starting his outing with five shutout innings while only allowing two hits. He did allow a run in the top of the sixth but limited the damage by inducing a ground out to finish another strong start for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals had a chance to wrap up the game in the top of the seventh but the Greyhounds found a way to push across four runs in the top of the seventh to keep the game alive. Catholic's offense found a spark once again in the bottom of the eighth after Nico Tozzi and Eilbacher were hit by a pitch and Ruiz slashed another single into left field to score Tozzi. Napolitano kept his hot day at the plate going by smoking a double to center field to bring Eilbacher to the plate. Bateman wrapped up the game on the next at-bat by launching a three-run shot to left center field to cap off the 11-run win for the Cardinals. 

Inside the Box Score

• Napolitano had a career day as the senior finished with a career-high four hits and three doubles while also driving in a pair of runs. He is now hitting .347 on the season with seven doubles and 14 RBI's.
• Cardman collected his second win of the week with his six inning one-run performance with four strikeouts. For the week, Cardman tossed 13 innings while only allowing two runs with eight strikeouts. He has pitched to a 3.55 ERA over 38 innings on the season thus far.
• Ruiz turned in a solid performance at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two walks while also driving in a career-high four runs. The Cardinals knocked 15 hits in each of the last two games of the series.

The Cardinals are back in action on Tuesday, April 14 for a conference showdown against Elizabethtown. First pitch is set for 3:30 pm at Talbot Field.