In its final conference game of the regular season and second doubleheader in as many days, the St. John Fisher College softball team split with the visiting Alfred University Saxons. The Cardinals closed two separate multiple run gaps to grab a hard fought 7-6 victory in the first game, but failed to complete the sweep of the Saxons in the second game with an 11-3 loss. Fisher is now 22-8 overall, and is 9-3 in the Empire 8, good for second place in the conference, behind only the Ithaca College Bombers.
After a Kristi Bradley homerun, her first of the year, gave Fisher a one-run lead, the Cardinals gave up four runs in the fourth inning. Fisher answered the challenge in the bottom of the fourth when Jamie Harmon doubled to score Megan Zoerb and Bradley, and Carissa Carlson scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at four.
The game remained knotted until the seventh inning when Alfred broke the tie with two runs. With the bases loaded, Meghan Graves was called on to pinch hit with two outs. Graves hit a routine ground ball to the third baseman who fielded the ball but let the throw loose over the first baseman's head. Two runs scored on the error and knotted the game at six, but the Cardinals still had another out to work with. Carlson got a hit that dropped just over the first baseman on the right field line, scoring Kristen McCoy who was pinch running for Bradley to seal the victory.
The Cardinals used pitchers Amanda Shevchuk and Chrissy Capalbo to gain the victory, with Capalbo earning the victory. Shevchuk went 3.2 innings, giving up three earned runs while fanning five batters. The freshman Capalbo relieved Shevchuk in the fourth and went 3.1 innings while only giving up two runs. Capalbo improved to 3-0 on the year and is boasting a 1.69 ERA in 20.2 innings on the mound.
The Cardinals were unable to keep the momentum going into the second game, struggling to stop the Saxons. In the fifth inning, the Saxons got a two-run homerun to go up eight runs, 11-3, and put the mercy rule into effect. For Fisher Samantha Vara and Lauren O'Brien each went 2-for-3, with Vara scoring two runs. Zoerb finished with a hit and two RBI while Bradley also finished with a hit and a RBI.
The Cardinals will return to action tomorrow against host SUNY Oswego in a non conference matchup that will begin at 3 p.m.
