In baseball, the first pitch of the season is often a superstitious affair. The result of the pitch is often thought to denote how the team will perform that season.

If the ritual extends to high school sports, the start of the fall season carries optimism for Saint Ignatius Athletics.

The Saint Ignatius golf team took first at the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA) Tournament on Monday, the first athletic event of the 2017-18 academic year for the Wildcats. 

The varsity golf squad posted a solid, all-around performance, finishing with a round of 310. Each Saint Ignatius golfer carded a round in the 70's. 

Junior Jake Moraca steered the Golf Cats with a tournament-low score of 76. The four other Wildcats came only two strokes behind Moraca. Seniors Michael McCaffrey and Ryan Grabowski and sophomores Andrew Kaye and Ross Williamson recorded rounds of 78. 

Gilmour Academy placed second to the Wildcats with a team score of 320. Columbus Worthington notched a team mark of 328, good for third in the 16-team tournament.

The Wildcats return to the course tomorrow. The team will host its annual Saint Ignatius Invitational at Red Tail Golf Course in Avon. 

Congrats to the Golf Cats on a great start to the season.