Baseball | 2/26/2016 9:29:00 PM

Playing in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, FL, the St. John Fisher College baseball team lost 4-3 to Concordia College (Minn.) in its opening game of the 2016 season.

With the loss, Fisher begins the season with a 0-1 record while the Cobbers improve to 5-2 on the year.

The Cardinals got off to a strong start as they led 1-0 after a solid first inning. In the top of the inning, Joe Simmons got on base after reaching on an error by the shortstop. The senior then went on to steal both second and third base consecutively before Scott Eisenmenger singled to send Simmons home and put Fisher up by one run.

Neither team would score again until the fourth inning when the Cardinals managed to extend its lead to 3-0 in the top of the stanza. That was when a Jack Vivinetto single drove in Mike Roman from second base and Malcolm Kelsey from third base respectively.

In the bottom of the fourth, Concordia responded by scoring two runs in a bases-loaded situation to cut the Fisher lead down to one run before ultimately tying the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

After a scoreless seventh, the Cobbers managed to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth off when a double drove in one run, giving Concordia a 4-3 advantage.

The Cardinals were unable to get on base in the ninth inning, leaving them with the one-run loss.

Vivinetto led Fisher at the plate, batting 2-for-4 on the day while tallying two RBI.

Evan Ryan also went 2-for-4 batting while Roman and Eisenmenger (one RBI) each finished 1-for-4 on the day.

On the mound, Marc Iseneker (0-1) pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. The junior also struck out seven batters in the contest.

The Cardinals will be back in action tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. against Franklin College at Lake Myrtle Complex in Auburndale, FL.