The St. John Fisher College baseball team overcame a 6-0 deficit with a seven-run fourth inning to take control on Friday afternoon, and went on to win 9-7 over visiting University of Rochester in the conclusion of a two-game series.

 

The Yellowjackets got going early, scoring five runs on the Cardinals to open the game, highlighted by a two-out, two-RBI double down the right-field line from Rochester’s Matt Francis.  A leadoff double got Dave Kloc into scoring position in Rochester’s half of the fourth, with Blayne Fuke knocking in Kloc to give the visitors a 6-0 advantage.

 

In the bottom of the fourth however, Fisher took advantage of several opportunities to plate seven runs on four hits and two errors.  John Quartironi (Williamsville East/Williamsville) got the Cardinals going with a leadoff single, and advanced to second on a passed ball.  Dave Roth (Churchville Chili/Rochester) drew a bases-loaded walk for Fisher’s first run of the day, with Marc Montesano (New Hartford/New Hartford) blasting a two RBI single to score Chad King (C.W. Baker/Plainsville) and Jonathan Gibbs (Pittsford Sutherland/Pittsford). 

 

The Cardinals added another pair of runs on consecutive errors from the Rochester infield. A single from Kevin Wing (Webster Schroeder/Webster) loaded the bases again for Fisher, who capitalized when Gibbs came through with a double to right field to score Andrew Van Slyke (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill/Rome) and Michael Armstrong (Penfield/Rochester) for the final two runs of the inning.

 

Rochester rallied to tie the game, 7-7 in the fifth when Ed Kahovec tagged up to score on a Ryan Sullivan fly ball.

 

With the score knotted up, King gave Fisher the final margin with a bases-loaded two RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to improve Fisher’s record to 23-9-1 on the year.

 

Eric Wernert (Victor/Farmington) earned his second win of the season from the mound, in relief of Bryan Rodman (Palmyra-Macedon/Palmyra) who threw four and one-third innings and allowed just two earned runs.  Justin Lutes (Charles O. Dickerson/Trumansburg) came in for a three-out save in the ninth, his seventh of the year.

 

Montesano was Fisher’s top performer from the plate with two hits (2-for-4), two RBI and one run scored.  Quartironi scored two runs, while Gibbs and King each totaled two RBI. Van Slyke scored twice and knocked in two more for the Cardinals.

 

Fisher will return to action with a doubleheader at R.I.T. tomorrow.