For the Catasauqua baseball team, it was another promising afternoon that quickly transformed into a disappointing one.

Monday afternoon, the Roughies dropped a 7-2 decision to Northwestern. They took a 2-1 lead into the top of the seventh behind starter John Pushkar.

However, Pushkar was forced to leave the game after hitting his 100-pitch limit. He allowed one run on three hits, struck out six, and walked six.

David Carl relieved Pushkar in the sixth, and the visiting Tigers rallied for six runs (four earned), in the top of the seventh. Matt Fotta finished the game for the Roughies.

Catty took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off Northwestern starter Shaun O’Donnell when leadoff hitter Reece Lopez and Pushkar and Fotta followed with doubles. However, the Roughies’ bats could only muster three more hits the rest of the way.

The loss left Catty with an overall 3-16 record, having a rematch with Northern Lehigh as their lone remaining game Wednesday. Catty earlier dropped a 10-8 decision to the Bulldogs.

A few days earlier, the Roughies erupted for 15 runs in a three-inning, shortened shutout victory over Notre Dame East Stroudsburg.

The Roughies exploded for eight runs in the first inning, and closed out the game with a five-run third.

Fotta drove in five runs, Carl had three RBIs, Pushkar had three hits and two RBIs, Luis Collazo had two hits and two RBIs, and Lynkan Moore had two hits and an RBI in the 15-hit onslaught.

For the season, Fotta was hitting a team-best .345 with a season-high 14 RBIs, and Pushkar was hitting .321 with nine stolen bases.

Head coach Steve Bradley also has been impressed with Moore, who will return for his senior year.

“He has done a nice job for us all season,” noted Bradley. “Lynkan has helped form a solid outfield for us. He has grown as a player and will help us next year.”

As for the Northwestern game, Bradley had seen the that script before.

“Pushkar pitched his best game, but he had to come out because of the pitch rule,” stated Bradley. “We were leading 2-1 and needed three outs, but then there was a walk, an error, and three big hits. They also had six hits, but they strung them together.”

Bradley also realizes how his club has had his share of bad luck.

“Our team has been snakebit all season,” stressed Bradley. “We have been in tight games with good teams late in games and can’t find a way to finish. It’s a shame.

“The kids played really well (against Northwestern). We have had this happen in multiple games with the best teams in our league.”

The Roughies will graduate five seniors, but Bradley sees the makeup of his future club.

“We have had a number of kids grow as players,” said Bradley. “We also have a good group of younger players.

“I like the group we will have next year.”