WASHINGTON, D.C. - Catholic University baseball freshman Dante Pozzi totaled four hits while senior Conor Casey had a grand slam as the Cardinals posted a 15-4 victory over Drew Sunday at Talbot Field.
Catholic (13-5, 3-0 LC) extended its win streak to nine, its longest since the team won 12-straight from April 6 to April 19, 2019. The Cardinals have also won seven-straight against the Rangers, sweeping the season series for the second year in-a-row.
Catholic has outscored Drew, 78-23, during its seven-game win streak, including 47-17 this weekend.
The Cardinals totaled a season-high 20 hits with 10 players registering at least one and eight going for extra bases. Pozzi posted the team's first four-hit perfomance of the season, going 4-for-6 with two runs. Senior Ben Nardi was 3-for-4 with two RBIs while senior Peter Giombetti was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Giombetti and sophomore Jesse Lacefield currently own six-game hitting streaks, the longest on the team this season. Meanwhile, Nardi has reached base safely in a season-best 12 consecutive contests.
Catholic led 3-1 before the Rangers took their first lead with three runs in the top of the fifth, going in front on an RBI-single to left center by Ryan Jones.
The Cardinals regained the lead with six runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a pinch-hit, first-pitch grand slam to right by Casey that gave them a 7-4 lead. It was Connor's second career home run and the team's second grand slam this season.
Catholic added two more runs in the inning on a two-run single to center by Giombetti that scored Pozzi and junior Zach Burton.
Holding a 9-4 lead, the Cardinals tacked on five more runs in the seventh, including three on extra-base hits by Nardi, who hit his fourth home run of the season, and doubles by graduate student Billy Duke and senior Matt Tesoriero.
Ironically, Catholic's 15th and final run came on an RBI-triple by number 15, senior Tommy Antonucci, that scored freshman Sean O'Mara. Antonucci also had an RBI-triple in Saturday's 14-10 win over Drew. He finished the three-game series 4-for-7 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Freshman Matthew Fisher also had three hits on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with two runs.
Sophomore Danny Fitzgerald picked up his team-leading third win of the season on the mound, holding the Rangers scoreless over 3.2 innings while striking out eight and allowing just one hit in relief of freshman starter Cody Bosak.
The Cardinals conclude their five-game homestand on Wednesday when they hosts crosstown rival Marymount (Va.) beginning at 3:30 p.m. Each of the last three meetings between the two teams have been decided by just one run. The Saints are currently among the other teams receiving votes in the latest D3baseball.com Top 25 Poll.