The St. John Fisher College baseball team used 31 hits to sweep an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader against Houghton College this afternoon at Dugan Yard. Fisher took game one, 17-1, and closed out game two with an 11-2 victory.

The Cardinals improved to 25-8 overall and 13-1 in the Empire 8 going into its final home conference weekend to close out the regular season.

Houghton falls to 13-22 on the season and 3-12 in the conference.

Junior outfielder Malcolm Kelsey finished out the day going 4-for-6 with six RBIs, three runs scored, a triple and a double.

Fisher is back in action this weekend when it hosts Empire 8 rival Ithaca College. After Saturday's 1 p.m. doubleheader, the Cardinals will honor eight seniors prior to the 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday against the Bombers.

Game One:
The Cardinals never trailed entering the bottom of the fifth up, 10-0.  With two-outs, Fisher batted around while plating seven runs on seven hits and an error to make it, 17-0.

With runners on first and second with two-outs, Victor Konstantinovsky doubled down the left field line to score both Joe Simmons and Kelsey. Evan Ryan followed that up with a walk and later came around to score as senior Cody Wiktorski doubled over the centerfielder's head. Konstantinovsky also scored on the play. The Cardinals used three-straight singles and an error by the first baseman to score its final two runs of the frame.

Fisher posted a pair of runs in both the second and third innings, while tallying six runs in the fourth.

As a team, Fisher drew ten free passes.

Cardinals' starting pitcher Jim Dawson went the distance on the mound and earned his seventh win of the season in as many decisions. The freshman threw seven strong innings allowing just a run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Game Two:
Fisher jumped out to an early three-run lead after four innings, but Houghton got a run back in the top of the fifth to make it a two run game.

The Cardinals scored a pair in the bottom of the fifth and tacked on its sixth run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 6-2 score.

In the bottom of the eighth, Fisher registered five runs to seal the game at 11-2. With runners on first and second with one out, Konstantinovsky singled home Kelsey. Ryan followed up with his own RBI single as Simmons came around to score. Three consecutive singles by Ryan Prevost, Mike Roman and Scott Eisenmenger drove in the final three runs for the Cardinals.

For the game, Fisher tallied six extra-base hits (four triples and two doubles) with Konstantinovsky having two of the four triples himself.

Erin Moskal picked up the win for Fisher as he went six strong innings scattering five hits and allowing two runs (one earned).  The Cardinal bullpen didn't allow a base runner of any kind to reach in the last three innings.