The St. John Fisher College softball team earned their first two Empire 8 Conference victories with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Rochester Institute of Technology on Tuesday.  The Cardinals won the first game 4-2 and recorded an 11-2 victory in the second game.

 

After giving up two runs on two hits in the first inning, sophomore pitcher Jessica Maurer (Pembroke/Corfu) retired 18 of the next 19 batters she faced in a complete-game effort to earn her third victory of the season. 

 

Fisher trailed until the fourth inning, when senior Katie Botkins (Lakeshore/Derby) and Ashlee Krause (Maine-Endwell/Endicott) each doubled and scored a run, while Kate Maurer (Rome Free Academy/Rome) and Nicole Watkins (Canastota/Canastota) each came through with RBI-singles to take the lead for good.   Senior catcher Kim Barry (Charles O. Dickerson/Trumansburg), who went 2-for-3 in the win, also scored a run. 

 

In game two, R.I.T. scored a run in the first, but Fisher responded with four runs in the second and never looked back.    The Cardinals added two runs in the fifth and sixth innings, and three more runs in the seventh, including a lead-off home run by Botkins.  Krause also hit her first home run of the season to give Fisher the lead for good. 

 

Junior outfielder Nicole Watkins (Canastota/Canastota) went 4-for-4 at the plate, while batting in two runs and scoring three. 

 

Sara Dresser (Medina/Medina) and Sarah Gates (Granby Memorial/Granby, CT) each doubled and combined for three RBIs.  Sophomore Kristi Bradley (Dansville/Dansville) went 2-for-3 with two runs, while Meghan Graves (Fort Ann/Fort Ann) also scored two runs. Senior Laura Paul (Mt. St. Mary Academy/Tonawanda) also scored a run in the win.

 

Sophomore pitcher Amanda Shevchuk (Fayetteville-Manlius/Manlius) earned her sixth win on the mound, scattering three hits over seven innings while striking out four.

 

The Cardinals (11-7, 2-0 Empire 8), who have won six of their last seven games, including each of their last five, will return to action at 3 p.m. on Thursday at SUNY Brockport.