LAKELAND, Fla. – The St. John Fisher College baseball team came up with seven hits, but stranded nine runners on Friday as the Cardinals fell to the nation's top-ranked team, UMass-Boston, 7-0, in a nine-inning contest played at Henley Field.  With the loss, Fisher slipped to 3-5 on the season while the Beacons remained unbeaten at 4-0.

Both pitchers were dealing through three innings of play before the Beacons broke the tie on just one hit and three Fisher errors to open up a 3-0 lead heading to the fifth.

In the top of the sixth, Fisher had its best scoring opportunity of the game as Scott Eisenmenger ripped a one-out single to center before Ryan Brown followed suit with a base knock of his own to put two on with two away, but the Beacons worked out of trouble with a groundout to first to preserve their three-run lead.

In the bottom of the frame, the Cardinals were able to put two quick outs on the board before UMass-Boston came up with a double and a walk to keep the inning alive.  With two on and two outs, Dillan Wilkinson got a groundball, but the throw to first was off line as both runners came around to score to make it 5-0 in the Beacons' favor. 

After a scoreless seventh inning, Thomas Pasquale reached first after being hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Eisenmener drew a five-pitch walk to put two on with one away.  Justin Graham stepped to the dish and ripped a line drive to right, but the Beacons came up with the grab near the fence before retiring the side to hold Fisher at bay heading to the bottom of the inning. 
 
UMass-Boston added to its lead in the eighth with two runs on three hits and would go on to set the Cardinals down in order in the top of the ninth to preserve the win.

Sophomore Anthony Brophy (0-1) started and took the loss for Fisher after allowing three runs (all unearned) over five innings of work.  Brophy scattered five hits and notched five strikeouts overall before being lifted for Wilkinson who threw two innings and finished with three strikeouts.  Ryan Felske tossed an inning and allowed two runs on four hits.

Graham and Brown each had two hits in four at-bats while Pasquale was 1-for-3 with a double.  Eisenmenger and Victor Konstantinovsky rounded out the offense for St. John Fisher with one hit apiece. 
 
The Cardinals will close out their trip to Florida at 12:30 p.m. in Auburndale as they battle Suffolk University at Auburndale High School.