With a 10-12 record, St. Paul's has played inconsistent baseball for much of the season.
Things didn't change Saturday against visiting Mercersburg of Pennsylvania.
The Crusaders committed four errors, which led to four unearned and a 7-3 loss to the Blue Storm in Brooklandville.
St. Paul's coach Pat Walsh said his team was probably looking ahead to playing Archbishop Curley Tuesday.
"That game will determine whether we make the playoffs or not," Walsh said of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic A Conference game. "I think the guys are looking forward to that game. We didn't play the defense we were capable of. We were uninspired. We have to play harder and more sound."
Mercersburg right-hander Myles Hearon picked up the victory, giving up five hits and three runs while striking out two batters and walking two.
His teammates provided him with some run support in the early innings.
The Blue Storm (16-2) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Chris Adusei-Poku knocked in leadoff batter Mike DeLa Rossa, who had reached on an error, with a single to right-center field.
Mercersburg pushed its lead to 3-0 in the third inning on two singles, two walks, an error and sacrifice fly.
St. Paul's responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to make it 3-2. Ryan Glendon (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) knocked in Jon Clemons on a fielder's choice and Conor Brown plated Glendon with single down the left-field line.
In the top of the fourth, sophomore right-hander Liam Flayhart replaced starting pitcher Parker Green, a senior lefty who took the loss, and gave up a run on two hits and an error.
St. Paul's cut the advantage to 4-3 in the fifth. Spencer Horwitz tripled to right-center field and Zach Kobokovich drove him in with a two-out single to center field.
Mercersburg finished its scoring in the sixth, pushing across two runs on an error and another on Beau Lowery's single to right field.
"We managed to get some clutch hits with people on and they didn't," Mercersburg coach Karl Reisner said. "That was the difference."
Blue Storm right-hander Tristan Baker came on to work the last two innings and struck out three batters.
"We definitely could have played better," Glendon said. "We didn't play well enough win. The defense was kind of lacking. We have a big game Tuesday against Curley and I think a lot of the guys have their mind on that."