ALLIANCE, Ohio – The No. 24 nationally ranked Mount Union baseball team (27-12) lost, 11-10, to Catholic University (28-16) in the 2025 NCAA Division III Regionals at Rafeld-Rogers Field on Friday. The Purple Raiders are hosting the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
Senior left-handed starting pitcher
Zachary Breeden (Cincinnati, Ohio / Oak Hills) pitched 7.0 innings with five strikeouts, allowing six runs, and at one point retired 12 batters in a row in the no decision.
Mount Union fell behind 5-0 in the first two innings but responded well to the early adversity. Graduate first baseman
Jaired Lehman (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) kicked off the bottom of the second inning with a massive leadoff triple, which helped the Purple Raiders score five runs in the frame. Freshman catcher Daniel Thome III (Lakewood, Ohio / St. Edwards) started the scoring with an RBI single. He went 2-for-4 at the plate on the day. Senior first baseman
Johnny Costella (Cleveland, Ohio / Trinity) reached on an error after putting a ball in play, allowing another run to score. Sophomore outfielder
Brycen Fox (Hamilton, Ohio / Badin) contributed with an RBI single on a bunt, and senior third baseman
Chris Viamonte (Miami, FL. / Coral Gables) followed up with an opposite-field RBI single to right field. Graduate second baseman
Andrew Witte (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) capped off the scoring for the inning with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Mount Union took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single by Costella, giving them the 6-5 lead.
Catholic responded with a solo home run at the top of the eighth inning and five runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Purple Raiders made a late rally attempt at the bottom of the ninth, as Witte earned an RBI on a fielder's choice, and junior outfielder
Chris Tsouras (Las Vegas, Nev. / Arbor) hit a three-run home run.
Senior right-handed pitcher
Brady Hansen (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver Area) (8-3) finished the game for the Purple Raiders, pitching 2.0 innings with one strikeout, allowing five runs.
The Purple Raiders will play the Grove City Wolverines, who lost 9-1 to Rowan earlier in the day, tomorrow at 8:30 AM to keep their playoff dreams alive.