The No. 2 St. John Fisher College softball team defeated the No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks 11-8 in its first game at the Empire 8 Conference Championship.  The game, played on the campus of No. 1 Ithaca College, was the highest scoring game in 66-game history of the Empire 8 Championship.

Fisher will now face the winner of No. 4 Alfred and the host Bombers at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Down 3-1, the Cardinals used a huge third inning to take a 7-3 over Stevens.  Fisher pounded in six runs after loading the bases early in the inning.  With Kelly Jones, Jennifer Vanek and Megan Zoerb all on base, Leanne Merchant drew a walk to send in the Cardinals' second run of the day.  Carissa Carlson then sent a shot into the right center gap to take three bases and clear the infield. 

Sarah Fordyce brought Carlson home with a single before Jennifer Martin was hit by a pitch to place runners at first and second.  Jones, up to bat for the second time in the inning, reached on a fielding error that allowed Fordyce to cross home plate and make the game 7-3 in favor of Fisher.  After gaining the lead in that inning, Fisher never trailed again.

Fisher added another two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Kaylee Tallman and Fordyce both picked up an RBI to make the game 9-4.  Stevens earned its fourth run in the top of the fourth inning.

The Cardinals seemed to have the game in hand, but Stevens made a big push in the sixth inning by posting four runs to cut the Fisher lead to 9-8.  The spurt started with a three-run home run by Stephanie Senkevich, and her hit was followed with a triple from Sarah Parker.  After the Parker hit, Sarah Stefanon replaced Danielle Leone on the mound and gave up just a single run before ending the inning.

The run, scored by Parker with two out, was hit on the ground but an odd bounce fooled and ultimately got past Jones at shortstop.

But Jones made up for the error, as she came through with a huge hit in the bottom of that same inning.  With Kate Disbrow and Megan Rogers pinch running at first and second base, Jones hit a three-base liner to the right field gap to bring the Cardinal runners home.  The hit put Fisher up 11-8, which would end up as the game's final.

Stevens started the game fast, posting three runs in the top of the opening inning.  The Ducks singled with their first batter, before moving to runners on the corners with one out and ultimately loaded the bases after Leone hit a batter.  With the three runners on and two outs, Stevens singled to drive in a run and then added two runs after an errant throw to first base by Zoerb.

The Cardinals cut the lead to two runs in the second inning when Tallman hit a bloop single over the second baseman's head to drive in Carlson. Carlson, whose run made it 3-1, earned her bases after singling to right field before moving to third on a wild pitch and a single by Fordyce.

Leone moved to 18-3 on the season after picking up her fourth-consecutive win.  The starter earned just four of the Stevens runs, while striking out four batters and walking one.  Stefanon earned her first career save with the appearance.

Carlson led all Fisher hitters, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with three RBI and two runs scored, with the four hits marking a career high.  Fordyce was the only other Cardinal to have multiple hits as she had two with two RBI and one run.  Tallman and Jones both also earned two RBI on the day.