Cardinals Punch Ticket to Region 20 Final Four in Marathon Victory

CCBC Catonsville's baseball team punched their ticket to the Region 20 Final Four this week with an 11-2 victory over rival CCBC Essex.

After withstanding a 24-hour rain delay in the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinals ended the contest early via run rule thanks to a bases-loaded walk and an excellent relief performance from sophomore pitcher Jackson Bauer (Mt. St. Joseph). 

The bulk of Catonsville's runs came in the bottom of the fifth. Trailing 2-0, Catonsville got the ball rolling on a solo home run by freshman shortstop Jaedan Kelly (Winter Park). The Cardinals tied the game on an RBI single by sophomore right fielder Trenton Snyder (Oak Park), then took the lead for good with an RBI double by sophomore first baseman Nick Stergiou (Broadneck). The next five Cardinals scored as well, making it 8-2.

As Snyder hit his second RBI single of the inning to bring home two additional runs, heavy rain began to fall. Officials suspended the game with two outs in the fifth, with action picking back up 24 hours later on Wednesday. Once the game resumed, the Cardinals added one last run when freshman left fielder Gavin Faulkner (Edgewater) scored on a bases-loaded walk. Jackson Bauer then shut down the Knights in the top of the seventh to give the Cardinals a run-rule victory.

With their win, the Cardinals will head to the Region 20 Final Four, where they will face Montgomery College!