BALTIMORE, Md. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College baseball team opened its season on the road on Saturday as the Cardinals, who are ranked eighth in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, split with host Johns Hopkins University at Babb field. 

Fisher, which is now 1-1, will return to action at 12:30 p.m. on March 5 when it faces Otterbein University in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven, Fla. The Cardinals will play seven games in all in the Sunshine State.

JOHNS HOPKINS 3, ST. JOHN FISHER 2 (8 INNINGS)
Trailing by two runs in the top of the sixth inning after the Blue Jays plated runs in the first and fifth frames, Fisher's offense came to life.  Senior Scott Eisenmenger ripped a two-out single up the middle before Nate Roethel stepped to the dish and smacked a two-run homerun over the right field fence to tie the game at two runs apiece.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases in bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, but Fisher's pitching wiggled out of the jam each time to keep the game tied heading into extra innings.  In the top of the eighth, Eisenmenger reached base after being hit by a pitch, but the Cardinals were unable to plate the go-ahead run heading into the home half of the inning. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Johns Hopkins led off with a double and scored four batters later on a walk-off single into center to earn the one run win.

Sophomore Jim Dawson got the start for Fisher but did not factor in the decision after tossing 5.0 innings where he allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.  Dawson struck out three.  DJ Mendenhall threw an inning of scoreless relief while Matt Toohey (0-1), who was saddled with the loss, went 1.1 innings with three hits, one run and four walks.

FISHER 5, JOHNS HOPKINS 2
The Cardinals took advantage of a Hopkins' error in the second inning as Roethel reached after an errant play by the Blue Jay's backstop.  Back-to-back singles by Evan Ryan and Justin Graham loaded the bases for Fisher with just one out.  The next hitter, Victor Konstantinovsky, lifted a high foul ball down the right field line that was just deep enough to allow Roethel to tag up and score from third to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

After holding Johns Hopkins at bay in the bottom of the second, Fisher put two on in the top of third as Thomas Pasquale and Jack Trotman each singled before Malcolm Kelsey loaded the bases after being struck by a pitch.  Eisemenger delivered the big blow with a grand slam over the short outfield porch to put the visitors up 5-0 before the Blue jays could retire the side.

In the home half of the third, Johns Hopkins was able to get two runs back after belting two doubles, but Fisher closed out the side and was able to keep the Blue Jays off the scoresheet until the game was eventually ended in the seventh due to inclement weather.

Anthony Brophy got the start on the bump for the Cardinals, tossing for 6.0 innings and racking up three punch outs. He was relieved in the final frame of the contest by Kevin Berge, who pitched the full side, allowing no runs and striking out two.