WASHINGTON – CUA won its fourth straight on Tuesday, downing Stevenson 7-6 at Talbot Field. The Cardinals led 7-4 in the 9th before allowing two runs, but they held on to improve to 25-12 this season. Nick Clary went 4 for 5 at the dish, while Chris McCloud and Mark Kalokitis added three hits apiece.

After Stevenson grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st, CUA tied the game in the bottom half. McCloud drove in the Cards first run with a double to left, plating Stefan Poggioli.

The Mustangs retook the lead with a pair of runs in the 3rd, but the Cardinals came right back again, this time scoring three runs to open up a 4-3 lead.

McCloud doubled in another run this time around, and Clary drilled a two-run homer to left center to put CUA on top by one.

The lead reached three in the 4th when the Cardinals pushed two more runs across. McCloud continued his torrid run production, driving in Dan Hinchcliff with a single, and Clary drove in Kalokitis with a single of his own.

Stevenson got one of the runs back in the 5th to make it a 6-4 game, before CUA made it a three-run spread once again in the 7th.

In that 7th inning, Brendan Breslin led off with a single and stole second. Mike McFarland then bunted Breslin over to third and a wild pitch allowed CUA's seventh run to cross.

The Mustangs made things interesting in the 9th, pulling to within one run, before Chris Nee struck out Davis Grove looking to end the game.

Tom Goulian reached on an error to begin the frame, and Josh Morris followed with a single. Troy Miller then singled in Goulian and the lead was down to two.

Another CUA error allowed Matt Bratter to reach, but Nee got the next hitter to ground into a double play. A run came across on the play however, cutting CUA's lead to 7-6.

Grove then dug into the box, but Nee sent him down looking, lifting CUA to its fourth straight win.

The Cardinals used a plethora of pitchers in this one, including Sean Van Gieson, Michael Campisano, Dustin Hanley, Josh Martin, Brian Cahill, Kory Smigocki, Will O'Leary and Nee.

Smigocki went 1.1 innings and allowed just one hit to pick up the win, while Nee earned his eighth save of 2013.

Matt Myers took the loss for the visitors, after he allowed six runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of work.

CUA, which has already clinched the top seed in next week's Landmark Conference Tournament, will now head to Pennsylvania for a three-game set vs. Scranton this weekend. The Cards and Royals get things going at noon on Saturday with a doubleheader.