PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College baseball team clubbed two home runs on Friday as the Cardinals moved into sole possession of first place in the Empire 8 standings behind a 16-3 win over Houghton College at Dugan Yard. With the win, Fisher, which has now won its last eight games, improved to 24-9 and 12-3 in the conference. Houghton fell to 15-14 on the season and 8-8 against Empire 8 opposition.
After a scoreless first inning, Fisher, which is receiving votes in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, sent nine hitters to the dish in the bottom of the second en route to five runs despite having just two hits in the inning.
Ryan Fahy got things started after the senior reached on an infield error before taking second on one of four wild pitches in the frame.
Ryan Simmons put two on for Fisher after being hit by a pitch before the Highlanders unloaded back-to-back wild pitches with Fahy scoring on the latter. Following a walk to
Jake Hewitt, Simmons would cross home plate after another errant pitch sailed to the backstop to make it 2-0. From there, the Cardinals loaded the bases as
Jack Vivinetto worked a walk and
Stephen Edgett dropped a bunt single. As the inning continued,
Justin Graham,
Antony Mantova and
Thomas Pasquale all collected an RBI before the Highlanders could retire the side.
Leading by seven runs in the fourth inning after plating a pair of unearned runs in the third, Houghton got two back on three hits to make it 7-2, but couldn't keep Fisher off the bases as the Cardinals stretched their lead to 13-3 with a six-run fifth inning. In all, Fisher sent 10 hitters to the plate with Edgett, Graham, Pasquale,
Scott Eisenmenger and Simmons each driving in one run apiece.
In the bottom of the seventh, Fahy tacked on two more runs with a shot over the right field fence to make it 15-3 while Edgett connected with his fourth long ball of the year in the bottom of the eighth to give the Cardinals their 12th win in conference play.
Head coach
Brandon Potter's squad accounted for 13 hits in the win led by Edgett who went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and three runs scored. Fahy and Graham each came away with a pair of hits to go along with two RBI each while Vivinetto, Hewitt, Simmons, Eisenmenger, Pasquale and Mantova each had a base knock.
Alec Teska started for the Cardinals, but did not come away with a decision as the freshman allowed three runs on six hits over 4.1 innings of work. Teska tallied four strikeouts overall before being lifted for
Jack Delaney who was credited with the win (3-0) after allowing one hit over 1.2 innings.
DJ Mendenhall pitched two scoreless innings and
Ryan Felske tossed a perfect ninth frame.
The Cardinals and Highlanders are set to duke it out again on Saturday at Fisher's Dugan Yard in an Empire 8 doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
