Cardinals take on Sussex in first home series of season

In their first home series of the season, the CCBC Catonsville Cardinals baseball team went 1-2 against the Skylanders of Sussex County Community College.

Catonsville lost game one 10-6 following a ninth-inning collapse. Game two saw the Cardinals win 6-5 thanks to a walk-off RBI double by freshman catcher Tony D'Angeli (Atholton). Game three would see a 14-7 loss for the Cardinals.

Game One

Game one began well for Catonsville, as sophomore pitcher Travis Weaver (Elco) struck out 11 batters through the first seven innings. The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead thanks to two unearned runs by sophomore outfielder Roman March (Franklin) and an RBI double by freshman designated hitter Pete Howell (Lake Howell).

After the Skylanders made it a one-run game in the top of the seventh, the Cardinals quickly reestablished their lead thanks to two wild pitches. Sussex responded with two more runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game at 5-5. An RBI double by D'Angeli in the bottom of the eighth would give Catonsville a 6-5 lead.

The top of the ninth saw the game get away from the Cardinals, as Sussex scored five straight runs to take a 10-6 lead. Two of those runs came off of errors by freshman catcher Lexies Calderon (Poinciana).

Game Two

Game two started out poorly for the Cardinals, as they fell into a 4-0 hole in the top of the fifth. The bottom of the fifth would see a complete turn-around for the Cardinals. With two runners in scoring positions, the Cardinals got two runs on the board thanks to RBI ground-outs by March and freshman second baseman Noah Deluca (Arundel). Now trailing 4-2, the Cardinals got a big assist from sophomore outfielder Angelo Martinez (North Atlanta). Martinez was walked, then stole second and third to get into scoring position. An RBI single by Pete Howell allowed Martinez to score, which was followed by a wild pitch that allowed sophomore third baseman Alex Elliott to tie the game.

After holding the Skylanders scoreless in the sixth, the Cardinals fell behind 5-4 in the top of the seventh. Down to their final out and needing a miracle, the Cardinals got one when another wild pitch put Elliott and sophomore outfielder Caleb Bailey (Old Mill) into scoring position. Tony D'Angeli then singled into left field, bringing both Bailey and Elliott home for a walk-off victory.

Game Three

Just like game two, game three began with a 4-0 hole for the Cardinals, thanks to a Sussex grand slam in the top of the first. Catonsville would quickly answer in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by D'Angeli. After trading runs in the second, the Skylanders began to pull away in the top of the third, taking a 9-2 lead.

Catonsville would attempt to respond with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but the top of the sixth was a dagger for the Cardinals. Sussex scored five more runs to take a 14-3 lead. Catonsville attempted a rally in the bottom of the sixth, with an RBI double by Pete Howell making it 14-7. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to add any more runs to their total, as March lined out to end the game in the seventh.

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