Cathedral pitcher Patrick McDonough has been a thorn in St. Aloysius’ side throughout his career.

Wednesday night at Bazinsky Field, McDonough got the better of the Flashes again, pitching the Green Waves to a 3-2 win.

By virtue of the victory, Cathedral (17-4, 9-0) earns the right to host the four-team, Division 7-1A Tournament next week in Natchez. St. Al (17-6, 7-2) will be the No. 2 seed in the double elimination tournament that will determine the division’s two playoff representatives.

“We’re probably looking at having to beat them two more times just to get first place in the division. All tonight did was keep us in Natchez,” Cathedral coach Craig Beesley said of the likely scenario next week.

Had St. Al won by five or more runs, they would’ve landed the tournament.

McDonough made sure that didn’t happen.

“What he is is a competitor,” said St. Al assistant coach Trey Clark said. “He’s not overpowering but he competes and can spot up. When you can spot up and battle that can make you an effective pitcher. And he’s now done it to us six times in a row.”

McDonough improved to 9-0 on the season in out-dueling two St. Al pitchers in starter Ryno Martin-Nez and reliever Jordan Muirhead. The Flashes got seven hits but could not get the big one they needed in either the fifth or seventh inning.

“The turning point was in the bottom of the fifth when they had second and third and one out and Patrick just bowed up,” Beesley said. “He struck out the next two. Even when they had multiple hit innings, he kept them to just single runs.”

Cathedral snapped a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning with two runs. Kole Junkin led off with a single off Martin-Nez. Caleb Johnson was then hit by a pitch to put two on. Blase Bradford bunted the runners over a base with a sacrifice.

Junkin then scored on Braxton Fondren’s grounder to second. Jesse Morrison followed with a single up the middle to score Johnson to make it 3-1.

“Even though they out-hit us (7-4), we got the bunt down to set up that inning,” Beesley said.

The Flashes got one run back in the bottom half of the fourth when Marsh Willis tripled to right and then scored on Justin Rushing’s fielder’s choice to short.

In the fifth, St. Al looked ready to at least tie the game after Pierson Waring reached on an infield hit and Martin-Nez got on with a bunt.

McDonough, though, struck out Jordan Muirhead and Sean Weaver to end the threat and keep the Green Waves in the lead.

“He started me off with breaking balls and then he just froze me with a fastball,” Weaver said. “He’s a difficult pitcher to pick up on.”

“There’s no one I’d rather have up in that situation than either Jordan Muirhead or Sean Weaver,” Clark said. “You just have to credit McOonough.”

St. Al had one last shot in the bottom of the seventh when Waring drew a two-out walk. Martin-Nez battled off four 2-2 strikes with foul balls before grounding out to second base to end the game.

McDonough finished with six strikeouts and he walked three. Martin-Nez went four and two-thirds innings before being relieved by Muirhead, who retired seven of the eight batters he faced.