St. John Fisher College won the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Rochester Super Regional, as the Cardinals defeated visiting Manhattanville College 9-2 on Saturday afternoon, winning the best-of-three series, 2-0.

With the win, Fisher improves to 38-10, while the Valiants finished their season with a 41-5 record.

The Cardinals will now advance to the NCAA Division III College World Series in Salem, Va., for the first time in program history as one of the nation's final eight teams.

Fisher will square off against University of Texas-Tyler (44-4) at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Moyer Sports Complex.


Sophomore pitcher Lindsey Thayer was named as the Super Regional's Most Outstanding Pitcher. Thayer allowed just one hit in today's game and two unearned runs, raising her record to 28-5 for the year.  She struck out 12 batters in Saturday's game.  On Friday, she allowed two hits and fanned nine in a 2-1 win over the Valiants.

Freshman Julia Sortisio was selected as the Super Regional's Most Outstanding Player.   The outfielder, who had two hits and scored Fisher's only two runs yesterday, went 3-for-5 at the plate on Saturday with two runs scored and two RBI.
 
Senior Jennifer Knaak needed just a home run for the cycle and drove in three runs, while Karlie Neale added two hits and two runs scored.  Kristina Balsano singled twice, while Katie Mazierski scored two runs.

Fisher, the guests on the scoreboard, took the lead for good in the top of the first inning, as Knaak tripled to right-center scoring Sortisio and Mazierski.

It would remain 2-0 until the fifth inning, when the Cardinals broke it open.  Sortisio singled to start the inning, while Mazierski battled back from an 0-2 count to earn a walk.  Knaak then doubled to left-center and advanced to third on error during a run-down, along Mazierski to score.

Neale followed that up with a single and stole second before Sarah Kubik delivered a two-run double to right center.

Fisher added two more runs in the seventh as Neale and Danielle Ventrone both singled and scored a two-run double from Sortisio.