St. John Fisher College’s Sarah Fordyce of the softball team has been named as the College’s Female Athlete of the Week for the week ending May 12, 2013.
Fordyce’s hitting was the highlight of the Cardinals’ week, as they participated in the Ithaca Regional of the NCAA Championship. The Cardinals earned the No. 1 seed after winning the program’s fourth Empire 8 title the weekend prior.
After falling to No. 8 Western Connecticut State in the opening game of the double-elimination tournament, Fisher faced elimination on Friday when it played The College of New Jersey. In a game that went 13 innings, Fordyce gave Fisher its first win of the tournament with a three-run home run in the top of the 13th, putting the team ahead 6-3. It was her second home run of the game and the first of three consecutive game-winning RBI.
Fordyce duplicated her performance the next day, facing Washington College in the first of two games on Saturday. This time, however, the senior struck early with another three-run shot in the first inning. The homer put the Cardinals up 3-0 and they would go on to win 4-1, setting up an elimination rematch with Western Connecticut on Saturday afternoon with Fordyce delivering again in extra innings.
With classmate Kayla Goodberlet on second base and the score tied at 2s in the 10th, Fordyce’s single to left field brought Goodberlet in for the game-winning run. The Cardinals would go on to win 4-2, staving off elimination yet again.
The Cardinals, however, bowed out of the Regional in their next game – the third extra inning contest in four games. After holding a 2-0 lead, Fisher was pushed into additional innings by Lebanon Valley, who gained the advantage for good in the top of the ninth and held on for the 3-2 win.
With three home runs on the weekend, Fordyce finished with a season total of 13, breaking Fisher’s single-season record of 11 that was set by teammate Leanne Merchant.
