LANCASTER, PA – No. 4 seed Catholic University broke open a tie game in the top of the ninth inning scoring three runs on way to a 6-3 victory over No. 1 seed Wilkes University Friday afternoon in the First Round of the 2025 Landmark Conference Championship Baseball Tournament at Penn Medicine Park.
 
Wilkes slipped to 28-11 overall following the defeat while Catholic improved to 25-16 on the season.
 
Catholic advanced to play No. 3 seed the University of Scranton tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. with a chance to seal a spot in the championship game on Sunday. Wilkes will now play the winner of No. 5 seed Lycoming College and No. 2 seed Elizabethtown College on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
 
Catholic got on the board first scoring one run in the top of the second thanks to a sacrifice fly. The Cardinals added to their lead in the top of the third when a double-play groundout plated a second run with the bases loaded.
 
Wilkes answered back in the bottom of the fourth as the Colonels notched their first run of the contest. Andres Cruz (Wayne, PA/Radnor) began the frame with a double to right field and then crossed home plate one batter later when Devin Markert (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) recorded an RBI double to centerfield.
 
The Colonels tied the game one inning later as Nathan Loch (Effort, PA/Pleasant Valley) started the rally with a walk and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Jack Mathis (Exeter PA/Wyoming Area) connected on an RBI double to right center to score Loch and tie the game at two.
 
The teams continued to answer runs each with one in the sixth inning of play. Catholic used two hits including an RBI single to left field after a leadoff double to take a 3-2 lead. Wilkes responded in the bottom of the frame as Jacob Cambria (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) led off with a single then moved to second on a groundout. After Cambria advanced to third on a wild pitch, Matthew Show (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) plated the tying run on an RBI sacrifice bunt.
 
From there the game stayed tied at three until the top of the ninth when Catholic used three hits to score three runs to put the game out of reach.
 
Mathis and Markert led the Colonels offense with three hits each as Wilkes finished with 11 total hits in the game.
 
Starter AJ Levandoski (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) went six innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three. Zachary Lloyd (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) followed pitching two innings allowing two runs on one hit and two strikeouts. Riley Jagger (Hop Bottom, PA/Mountain View) entered in the ninth allowing one run and two hits taking the loss. Ethan Jezewski (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood) recorded the final two outs in the ninth.