The St. John Fisher College softball team split an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader at Ithaca College on Saturday afternoon, winning 2-0 then falling 5-4 in an 11-inning nightcap. The Cardinals are now 21-9 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
 
Fisher 2, Ithaca 0
 
Lauren Owens recorded the two RBI on a single and a double to help Fisher earn the 2-0 win in Game 1.
 
In the top of the first inning, Katie Mazierski jumpstarted the offense with a single to the shortstop. Jennifer Knaak laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached first base thanks to an error by the pitcher. Meghan Burns then successfully put down another bunt to move both runners into scoring position and set Owens up for her RBI-single.
 
The Cardinals added their second run in the third inning when Mazierski once again singled to the shortstop and advanced to second base on another Knaak sacrifice bunt. Mazierski, now on third after a Burns groundout to shortstop, scored when Owens doubled to right field.
 
Mazierski and Owens each finished with two hits. Mazierski added two runs and two walks. Karlie Neale and Danielle Ventrone each added a hit to round out Fisher's offense.
 
Lindsey Thayer recorded her 10th shutout of her career from the circle. In a complete-game effort, the freshman scattered five hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts.
 
Ithaca 5, Fisher 4
 
The Bombers jumped out to a 2-0 lead this time in the bottom of the first inning on two unearned runs.
 
Fisher tied the game at 2s in the top of the fourth, scoring Owens and Emma Savas on a Neale single to center field and a Ventrone fielder's choice.
 
The Cardinals recorded the go-ahead run in the next at-bat, as Mazierski doubled down the right field line then scored on a Burns single to left field.
 
The Bombers, however, responded immediately and made it a tied game once again at 3 apiece in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The game would remain tied until the top of the 10th that started with the international tiebreaker. With Kristina Balsano on second base, Mazierski advanced her classmate to third on a groundout to the pitcher. Balsano put Fisher up 4-3, when Knaak brought her home on a single to right center.
 
Fisher's lead didn't last long as the Bombers made it a tied game at 4 apiece when their runner via international tiebreaker scored on a sacrifice bunt and fielder's choice.
 
Ithaca claimed the win in the bottom of the 10th when their runner via international tiebreaker scored on a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice flyball to right field.

Mazierski finished 3-for-5 with a run, while Burns went 2-for-5 with a RBI.

Thayer threw another complete game, allowing eight hits, five runs (one earned) and one walk with seven strikeouts.
 
The Cardinals return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday when they travel to Utica College for an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader.