PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College softball team downed Houghton College in both games of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. The Cardinals blanked the Highlanders, 8-0, in six innings in game one before downing them again, 14-1, in game two. With the win, Fisher improves to 21-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Houghton drops to 7-17 (1-7 E8).

FISHER 8, HOUGHTON 0 (6 innings)
Fisher took no time getting on the board in game one as an Ashley Prince home run in the opening frame drove in two. Katie Mazierski was the other to cross the plate as she singled on a bunt in the at-bat prior to Prince.

In the following frame, Fisher was able to double up on its opponent due in partly to an error in the outfield. Emma Savas began the play with a two out single down the left field line. Kristina Balsano then smacked a hard liner into left field that beat the left fielder and ran all the way to the wall. The error allowed Savas to score easily and Balsano, who was awarded just a single on the play, was able to get home as well.

The Cardinals tacked on their final four runs all in the sixth. Savas began the side with a single and was advanced to second on a sac bunt by Balsano. Julia Sortisio followed that with a hard hit double to left that scored Savas.

Mazierski then put runners in scoring position as she singled to short and used her speed to advance to second as the Highlanders attempted unsuccessfully to get Sortisio out at third.

This brought up Sarah Kubik, only needed one pitch to end the contest. The sophomore belted one over the left field fence to plate three and give Fisher its 20th victory of the year.

Lindsay Thayer moved to 13-4 on the season as she pitched another complete game. The junior punched out 14 on the day, while only allowing two hits.

FISHER 14, HOUGHTON 1 (5 Innings)
Three innings of four-plus runs gave Fisher a convincing win over Houghton in game two. The tallies began in the second as Savas tripled to score Danielle Ventrone, who led off with a walk. Balsano would follow that with a bunt single that allowed her to advance to second as the Highlanders were worried about Savas on third. Sortisio knocked both of them in on the next at bat with a single to center. The final two runs of the inning would be due to Houghton's accord as an error and a walk pushed two Cardinals across.

Fisher matched its five-run second with another five in the third. The Cardinals loaded the bases with their first three batters, and earned their first run as Mazierski earned an RBI on a walk. Kubik would single after a pitching change to score one more. That brought up Karlie Neale, who crushed a double to left center that cleared the bags.

Up 10-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Fisher turned to its reserves for some more insurance runs. Head Coach Bari Mance swapped eight of the nine batters in the line up and they did not disappoint. Alexa Montemayor, Jessica Sardina, Alyssa Piparo, Genevieve Paeglow and Mary Claire Grosvenor all tagged the Houghton hurler for a hit, earning another four runs for the Cardinals.

Monica Moses improved to 8-1 on the season as she tossed three Ks over 4.0 scoreless innings. Allison Uberty would close out the final frame for Fisher.

Softball returns to action with a doubleheader against Keuka College on Tuesday.