The St. John Fisher College baseball team opened Empire 8 play in 2013 with a split at Stevens Institute of Technology during a Friday afternoon doubleheader. With the split, the Cardinals are now 9-6 on the season and 1-1 in the conference while Stevens moves to 10-6, 1-1. Both teams will face off at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday for another conference doubleheader.  
 
Game One: Fisher 10, Stevens 7
 
Sean Osterman drove in the eventual winning run with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, plating himself and two of his teammates to take a 9-3 lead over the Ducks. Ben Bostick and Chris Roeder started the inning with back-to-back singles through the left side before Osterman's blast.
 
Later in the sixth, Brad Rush walked and was driven in two batters later by a Matt Creenan double to right centerfield for Fisher's last run of the game.
 
Sean Badger got the start on the mound, improving to 2-1 on the year with the win. The transfer went five innings, scattering seven hits, fanning five batters and allowing just three runs. Erin Moskal and Aaron Benton pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, each allowing two runs in their outings.
 
Osterman finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored while Nick Flemister went 2-for-3, crossing the plate twice while driving in two more runs. Also finishing with two hits was Creenan, Roeder and Bostick, with Roeder and Bostick each finishing with a run scored and a RBI. Creenan did not score but drove in two teammates.
 
Seven of the Cardinals nine hitters finished with a hit against Stevens in game one.
 
Game Two: Stevens 9, Fisher 5
 
After giving up three runs in the bottom of the first, Shane Barley hit a three-run homer in the second to tie Fisher with Stevens at 3-3.
 
The Ducks, however, would add all it needed in the third with four runs, despite Fisher's best efforts.
 
Cardinals' centerfielder Osterman made a great diving catch in the fourth inning where he leapt catching what would have been a three-run Stevens homer, falling on the other side of the barrier.
 
Fisher started Thomas Dybas on the hill, lasting 2.2 innings after surrendering eight hits and six earned runs while striking out three. Dybas was relieved by Adam Pettinella, who went an inning and a third, allowing two hits and two runs. Senior Zach Weaver then came in for the fifth and sixth innings, pitching two clean frames, shutting the Ducks down for no hits or runs and two strike outs.
 
At the dish, only Barley finished with a multiple hit game for the Cardinals, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Bostick, Rush, Roeder and Flemister were Fisher's other players with a hit.