HOBOKEN, N.J. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College baseball team ran its record winning streak to 18 games on Saturday with a 6-0 win over Stevens Institute of Technology before suffering its first loss since March 30 after falling in the 13th inning of the nightcap to split an Empire 8 doubleheader. Fisher, which is ranked 15th in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, finished the day at 26-7 overall and 13-1 in the conference standings while the Ducks moved to 17-20-1 overall and 9-8 against Empire 8 competition.
FISHER 6, STEVENS 0
Anthony Brophy remained unbeaten on the hill and moved to 8-0 after notching a complete-game shutout. Brophy allowed just five hits and tallied a career-high 14 strikeouts in the win.
Fisher staked its pitcher to a two-run lead in the top of the second inning on two hits and a pair of Stevens' errors.
Ryan Prevost led off the frame with a double to center and moved to third base on a failed pick off attempt.
Malcolm Kelsey came through in the clutch and delivered an RBI-single to right before eventually scoring the innings' second run when
Evan Ryan lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Cardinals tacked on another run in the fifth inning when
Jack Trotman sent a double down the left field line that scored
Scott Eisenmenger all the way from first base to make it a 3-0 game.
In the sixth inning, Kelsey clubbed his third home run of the season to give Fisher a 4-0 advantage before the senior drove in two more runs in the top of the seventh with a double down the right field line that scored Eisenmenger and
Ryan Fahy.
Kelsey finished the game with four RBI after going 4-for-4 at the plate with two extra base knocks to his credit.
STEVENS 4, FISHER 3 (13 Innings)
The Ducks opened up an early lead after scoring two runs in the home half of the first inning, but Fisher chipped away with a run in both the third and fourth innings to tie the game up at two runs apiece.
The game remained tied at 2-2 until the top of the eighth inning when Fisher plated the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly from
Nate Roethel to make it 3-2, but Stevens answered in the next half inning with a run of its own to tie the game at 3-3.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Stevens had the winning run in scoring position after a one-out double to center, but Fisher's pitching came up with two big outs to preserve the tie heading into the 11th frame.
The Ducks had the winning run at third base in the 11th, but again Fisher's pitching came up with a big out to hold Stevens at bay.
In the top of the 13th, Fisher had a runner in scoring position, but was unable to cash in as the Ducks came up with the game winning play in the bottom of the 13th with a bases-loaded walk-off walk to earn the hard-fought conference victory.
Caleb Lee took the loss for Fisher and moved to 0-1 on the season after tossing 2.2 innings with one hit, one run and four walks.
Dominick Pisciotto started and went 5.2 innings. He surrendered two runs on five hits and struck out seven overall.
Ryan Felske pitched 1.2 innings and allowed a run on two hits before being lifted for
Kyle Chambers who threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
The two teams will close out their three-game set at 12 p.m. on Sunday with a single nine-inning game at Dobbelaar Field.
