The St. John Fisher College baseball team split with the visiting Rochester Institute of Technology on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals pieced together a hard fought victory in the first game 2-1 in what was a pitching and defensive oriented game. Fisher fell in the second game 11-2, uncharacteristically struggling with the bats. The baseball team is now 17-15 on the year and 6-8 in the Empire 8 Conference.
Game One: Fisher 2, R.I.T. 1
Pitcher
Brandon Lewis showed his ability in the 2-1 win over the Tigers. The junior pitched a seven-inning complete game, in which he took a no-hitter 5.2 innings. On the day, Lewis surrendered just two hits and the only run he let up was with two outs in the seventh and was unearned.
The pitcher worked out of jams in both the first and last innings. After picking up two quick outs in the first, Lewis walked two and hit another batter but worked his way out of the bases loaded situation.
In the seventh and final inning, the defense both helped and hurt Lewis' effort. After a great diving catch by leftfielder
Ross Langevin, the sophomore came up throwing to double up the runner at first. The throw was on-line but hit the runner square in the back, prolonging the inning for one more out. A throwing error by third baseman
Teagen Barresi pulled first baseman
Steve Karnyski off the bag and a hit allowed R.I.T. to score its only run of the game. Lewis held on once again, inducing a pop-up to center to secure the victory.
Game Two: R.I.T. 11, Fisher 2
Sophomore Leo Fusilli was the bright spot for the offense in the loss. Fusilli went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. In the second inning he put Fisher on the board with a solo homerun and added Fisher's other run in the bottom of the sixth when he hit in Karnyski with a double.
On the mound freshman
Jeremy Willard got the start and lasted 4.1 innings, giving up eight hits and five earned runs while striking out two.
Fisher will return to action on Wednesday when it hosts University of Rochester at 4 p.m.
