Cardinals down Swarthmore 6-5 to finish trip on high note

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Behind a strong pitching performance from senior Ron Esposito, CUA downed Swarthmore (4-3) 6-5 on Friday morning to wrap up its annual spring break trip.  Esposito was terrific on the mound, throwing seven innings, striking out seven and allowing only two earned runs for CUA (7-4).

CUA’s Matt Grieb wasted little time in giving the Cardinals a lead, as he led the game off with a solo shot to right field.

The Cardinals made it 2-0 in the second inning when Dan Sullivan drove home Brendan Breslin with a sac fly to left field.

Swarthmore tied things at two with a pair of runs in its half of the second and the score remained knotted up until the top half of the eighth when CUA exploded for four runs. 

Tim Mierzwa led the eighth off with a double and came home on a two-run round tripper by March Hanna. 

After Chris McCloud was hit by a pitch Breslin doubled him in to make it 5-2 in favor of CUA.  Breslin moved to third on a wild pitch and Dave Grear then brought him home with a single to put the Cardinals on top by four.

Swarthmore made things interesting with three runs in its half of the eighth, and the Garnet then put runners on first and third with two down, but Hanna came in to close the door for the Cardinals, preserving the one-run lead.

Hanna then worked a perfect ninth to send CUA back home with its fourth win of the trip.

Esposito earns his third win of the season with his performance on the hill, and Hanna notches save number two.

For Swarthmore, Kyle Crawford suffers the loss after he allowed four earned runs in seven innings of work.

CUA gets right back to work with a single game vs. Frostburg State on Tuesday afternoon at home.  First pitch from Talbot Field is set for 3 p.m.