St. John Fisher College railled from a 5-2 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning and defeated Skidmore College 6-5 in 11 innings in the second game of the New York Regionals of the NCAA Division III Championship on Wednesday at Auburn's Falcoln Park.

The Cardinals rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth and received a game-winning single from freshman outfielder John Quartironi (Williamsville East/Williamsville)
in the bottom of the 11th to post the win.

Fisher, making the program's first NCAA playoff appearance, advances to face the Ithaca on Thursday at 1 p.m.; the Thoroughbreds will face Westfield State in an elimination game Thursday at
10 a.m.

Quartironi's one-out single to right scored senior shortstop Mike Palermo
(Spencerport/Spencerport), who had doubled. Palermo's two-run single in
the bottom of the ninth sparked St. John Fisher's rally. The Cardinals
trailed 5-2 and had been held to eight hits heading into the inning but
the first four Cardinals reached base to start the inning. Palermo's hit
scored

Freshman outfielder Jared Tiffin (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill/Sherrill), who
entered the game as a pinch-runner after senior catcher Ricky Palmiero
(Bishop Kearney/Rochester) led off with a walk and freshman Kevin Wing
(Webster Schroeder/Webster), who reached on a pinch-hit single. Following
a single by senior centerfielder Matt Bennage (McQuaid Jesuit/Rochester),
Palermo singled to center to cut the Skidmore lead to one. After Skidmore
got an out on a strikeout (following two unsuccessful attempts at a
sacrifice bunt), senior third baseman Jeff Fetzner (Greece
Athena/Rochester) singled to tie the game.

St. John Fisher's rally kept the Cardinals unbeaten in extra-inning games
and snapped Skidmore's seven-game losing streak.

The Thoroughbreds had erased a 2-0 Cardinal lead with a run in the fifth
and four in the seventh. Freshman outfielder Spencer Marcus
(Scarsdale/Scarsdale) scored Skidmore's first run on a St. John Fisher
error. An RBI groundout by junior shortstop Adam Brown
(Morrisonville/Beekmantown) tied the game in the seventh and the
Thoroughbreds took a 5-2 lead on a two-run single by senior outfielder
Mike Salamone (Newton South [Mass.]/Albany) and a run-scoring double by
junior Greg Carlow (Robert E. Fitch/Mystic, Conn.). Skidmore had a chance
top add to its lead, but Carlow was thrown out at home trying to score
when a ground ball was bobbled by Palermo.

Junior Justin Lutes (Charles O. Dickerson/Trumansburg) earned the win with
two scoreless innings of relief. Junior starter Ryan Hanson (G. Ray
Bodley/Fulton) allowed nine hits in nine innings of work, fanning five and
walking three.

Junior Mike Matias (Robert E. Fitch/Groton, Conn.) took the loss in relief
of sophomore Ed Reilly (Tenafly/Tenafly, N.J.), who allowed four runs on
nine hits in his eight innings.

Fetzner led St. John Fisher with three hits. Bennage, Palermo and freshman
outfielder Marc Montesano (New Hartford/New Hartford) had two hits apiece.
Carlow's three hits paced the Thoroughbreds.

OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT SITE (Include link for box scores/live stats/radio coverage, etc).