Marinelli Records 100th Career Hit

WASHINGTON, DC – Visiting Washington College scored four runs in the top half of the ninth inning to turn a 6-5 deficit into a 9-6 victory over host Catholic in a non-conference baseball game on Wednesday afternoon at Richard J. Talbot Baseball Field.  The Shoremen improve to 9-8 with the win, while the Cardinals slip to 15-7.

Catholic led 6-5 going into the top of the ninth when the Shoremen scored four times to pull out the win.  Senior Tyler Cotterell (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) with one out tied the game at 6-6 when he singled to left to score sophomore Michael Festa (Newtown, PA/Council Rock North).  Washington took the lead for good when freshman Bryan Baquer (Woodbridge, VA/Osbourn Park) singled home junior Nick Marinelli (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge), who had recorded his 100th career hit earlier in the frame, to put WC up 7-6 and on the play Cotterell scored on an error by the Cardinals to make it 8-6.  The Shoremen closed out the scoring when Baquer scored on a fielder's choice to put WC up by three runs.  Shoremen freshman pitcher Hawkins DuBois (Los Angeles, CA/University H.S.) retired Catholic in order in the last of the ninth to end the ballgame.

The Shoremen scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning when Cotterell scored on an error for the game's first run.  The Cardinals tied it in the last of the second when Nick Clary scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-1.

Washington scored a pair of runs in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead on RBI singles by Baquer and Thomas that scored Cotterell and Baquer.  The Shoremen scored twice in the top of the sixth to take a 5-1 lead on a Matthews two-run double down the right field line that scored sophomore Kyle Mikula (Stafford, VA/Colonial Forge) and Thomas with nobody out.

The Cardinals responded with three in the bottom of the sixth to cut the WC lead to 5-4.  Mark Kalokitis scored on a base hit to center by Charlie Dillon to cut the led to 5-2 with no outs.  Still with nobody out, Marc Hanna worked out a bases loaded walk to score Clary to cut the lead to 5-3.  Wes Stonelake grounded out to second to chase home Chris McCloud to cap the three-run outburst from the hosts.

Catholic took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs to take a 6-5 lead.  Kalokitis tied it at 5-5 when he scored on a Clary single to center with one out.  Clary would score on a McCloud sacrifice fly to right to give the Cardinals a one-run lead and it would hold up until the top of the ninth.

For Washington, who had 11 hits in the win, Baquer, Cotterell, Marinelli, Matthews and Thomas all had two hits each.  Cotterell scored three runs to lead the Shoremen, Baquer dented the dish twice, while Baquer and Matthews each knocked in two runs.  On the mound, DuBois got the win and is now 2-0 on the season as he pitched the final two innings where he allowed just one walk while striking out two. 

For Catholic, Clary was 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while Hanna plated a pair and Kalokitis scored twice.  The Cardinals had just five hits in the game, but worked out eight walks at the plate.  On the mound, Chris Nee took the loss and falls 0-1 on the year as he pitched the ninth for the hosts.

Marinelli becomes the second Washington baseball player this season to record 100 career hits as Cotterell recorded the feat on March 13 versus Daniel Webster.  Those two join senior Sean Connole (Mt. Airy, MD/St. John's Catholic) as the three on the current squad with 100 or more all-time hits.  Connole is currently at 147, while Cotterell is at 110.

The Shoremen are back in action at home tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m. versus Free State rival Frostburg State at Athey Baseball Park in a non-conference contest.