WASHINGTON, D.C. --

After splitting the doubleheader yesterday, Coast Guard dropped the final game in the opening series vs Catholic by a score of 4-3. The win improves Catholic to 7-3, they will next host Rhode Island College on Tuesday March 10th.

For the third game in a row, each team scored in the first inning, this time with one a piece. Carson Cho(Haymarket, VA) singled and was later doubled in by Nate Stafford(Jupiter, FL) to get the scoring started for CGA. Bear starter Raymond Priddy(Chico, CA) gave up one run in the bottom of the inning, then escaped a bases loaded jam to keep the score at 1-1.

After going down in order in the top of the 2nd, Priddy again escaped a jam in the bottom of the inning with a strikeout and double play after the inning began with 1st and 3rd with no outs. 

Catholic tacked on one run in the 3rd and two in the 5th to take a 4-1 lead into the 5th. In the 4th, Harrison Milbert(Kingston, MA) entered the game with bases loaded, two outs, and escaped the jam with a clutch strikeout. Milbert then pitched the next four innings and continued to shut down the Cardinals, allowing no runs on just two hits for the remainder of the game to keep the Bears alive.

In the 7th the Bears chipped away. After a Mason Phillips(Oak Park, IL) single and Yadisson Karbalaieasghar(Coral Springs, FL) walk, Luke Percifield(Pinellas Park, FL) stepped up to the plate with two outs and sent a fly ball deep the opposite way. After a miscue by the Cardinal right fielder, both men scored to bring the Catholic lead to just one. After the clutch double, Percifield came up big with his glove in the bottom of the 7th with two strong plays at third.

Trailing 4-3 in the 9th, Mason Phillips led off with an infield single to get the tying run on base. With Phillips on first, freshman Anthony DiClemente(Stafford, VA) took the first at bat of his college career in a massive spot. On the first pitch he saw, DiClemente executed the sacrifice bunt to get Phillips into scoring position. Catholic however was able to retire the next two batters to strand Phillips at second base and hand the Cardinals the series win.

Coast Guard drops to 1-2 on the season with the loss, they will next travel down to Ashland, Virginia to face Randolph-Macon.