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McLean entered its March 21 matchup against Gainesville with confidence after opening the season with a mercy-rule victory over Forest Park. But a promising start unraveled quickly as the Cardinals handed the Highlanders a 12-5 defeat.

“We have a good team, and the underclassmen are ready to step into their roles,” senior pitcher Colin Tomasulo said before the game. “We’re gonna try and throw strikes, and keep them off the board.”

Senior catcher Reid Turner helped McLean take a one-run lead in the first inning. Gainesville seized control in the second, however, capitalizing on an error and McLean’s pitching struggles.

After putting two runners aboard in quick succession, the Cardinals used a double, sacrifice fly and run-scoring single to build a 4-1 advantage. McLean went scoreless in the bottom half of the inning.

Gainesville kept pressing in the third. The Cardinals loaded the bases before a double brought home all three runners. A McLean pitching change slowed the attack, but a sacrifice fly extended the lead to 8-1.

The Highlanders answered with two runs. Senior outfielder Ryan Riggins delivered a sacrifice fly, and senior pitcher Dan Ockerman added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-3. The rally stopped there.

Gainesville scored twice more to further weaken McLean’s comeback hopes. The offenses later traded two-run innings in the sixth, maintaining the Cardinals’ eight-run advantage before the game ended 12-5.

“From a pitching standpoint, not throwing strikes really held us back,” senior pitcher Nathan Tsitsibelis said. “We gave up a ton of walks and let the guys get on base way too easily.”

McLean will try to rebound against rival Langley at Capital One Park on March 24.

“We’re ready for Langley, and we’re going to get those bats going,” Tsitsibelis said.