The St. John Fisher College softball team fell twice to Alfred University on Thursday in Empire 8 Conference play. The Saxons earned a 4-2 victory in Game 1, before securing a 10-8 win in the nightcap.
Alfred has now clinched the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Empire 8 Championship. Fisher can earn one of the final three spots in the tournament if the Cardinals win one of their final two Empire 8 Conference games against Houghton.
The doubleheader was a slugfest with seven home runs -- four from Alfred and three from Fisher.
Alfred 4, Fisher 2Â
Fisher got on the board first in the third inning on an RBI single from Meghan Burns. Burns came through with two outs and runners on first and second with a shot up the middle to score Kate Disbrow. Â
Alfred knotted the score at 1s after a solo home run from Jasmine Picini in the fifth. The Saxons added another solo shot in the sixth inning to take the lead for good.
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After scoring two more runs in the seventh inning, Kristina Balsano notched a solo homerun to cut the Saxons lead to 4-2, but that is as close Fisher would come.Seven Cardinals recorded one hit apiece, but failed to string them together.
Lindsey Thayer scattered six hits, four runs (three earned) and one walk with 11 strikeouts in the loss from the circle.
Alfred 10, Fisher 2Alfred started Game 2 with a bang -- a grand slam from Nicole Maher. Fisher fought right back in the bottom half of the first inning, started by a Burns single to right field, bringing in Katie Mazierski. The senior captain later scored on a passed ball. Emma Savas brought in Jennifer Knaak on a groundout to shortstop to wrap up the first inning.
The Saxons recorded their second homer of the game to extend their lead to 6-3. The following inning, Alfred earned a two-RBI single to make it an 8-3 game.
Fisher hit its first longball of the game in the bottom of the third inning when Savas connected for her first career homer.
Alfred kept chipping away, adding another run in the fourth inning on a double to left center.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Balsano hit her second home run of the day -- this time, a three-run rope over the right field fence -- getting Fisher within just two runs.
Alfred added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, making it a four-run game.
Fisher had its chance in its last opportunity with bases loaded, but could not pull out the win.
Savas and Balsano combined for five RBI. Danielle Ventrone finished 2-for-3 with one run, walk and RBI.
Thayer took the loss from the pitching circle, allowing seven hits, eight runs (seven earned) and one walk with five strikeouts in three innings. She falls to 17-7 on the year. Kayla DePara came in relief for the final four innings. The freshman allowed three hits, two runs (one earned) and four walks with two strikeouts.
Fisher closes out the regular season at 3 p.m. Friday when it will host Houghton College for a conference doubleheader. Â
