HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Anthony Brophy remained unbeaten on the mound while the nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College baseball team extended its winning streak to 12 games as the No. 18 Cardinals downed the Houghton College Highlanders, 9-4, in a nine-inning Empire 8 Conference game at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Center.  With the win, Fisher improved to 20-6 overall and 7-0 in the conference standings while Houghton fell to 12-18.

The two teams will reunite on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. for an Empire 8 doubleheader. 

Fisher jumped out to an early lead courtesy of three runs on four hits in the top of the first inning.  Evan Ryan and Justin Graham led off the frame with back-to-back singles before Scott Eisenmenger lifted a double to left that scored both runners to put Fisher up, 2-0.  After a groundout, Malcolm Kelsey plated the Cardinals' third run with an RBI-single to center that advanced Eisenmenger across home plate.

In the bottom of the second, Houghton used two hits and a Fisher error to come to within one run, 3-2, but Fisher tacked on a run in the third when Eisenmenger was credited with an RBI on a sacrifice fly that scored Graham who had singled earlier in the inning. 

After surrendering a run in the bottom of the fourth, Fisher blew the game wide open with five runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-3 lead.  After a quick out, Thomas Pasquale reached on an infield error and moved to third when Victor Konstantinovsky singled through the left side.  Ryan then dropped down a bunt-single that drove in a run while Graham followed suit with a bunt-single of his own before taking second on a throwing error.  Ryan Fahy got in on the action with an RBI-single while Eisenmenger earned his fourth RBI of the game with another sacrifice fly.

Brophy moved to 7-0 with the win as the freshman went seven innings and yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits.  Brophy struck out six overall and walked just one in the win.  Trevor Rumsey pitched the final two innings where he scattered a pair of base hits.  Rumsey allowed one run to score and tallied one strikeout.