HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College softball team allowed just one run over 12 innings and had 22 combined RBI as the Cardinals swept Houghton College on Tuesday to improve to 2-0 in the Empire 8 Conference standings.  Fisher, which is ranked ninth according to the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, now sits at 12-6 overall while the Highlanders fell to 7-11 and 0-2, respectively.

FISHER 11, HOUGHTON 1 (SIX INNINGS)

The Cardinals broke through in a big way in the top of the third with six runs on five hits after sending 11 hitters to the dish.  Emma Savas got things started and earned her way on base after being plunked.  The senior wouldn't remain at first for long, however, as Marissa Kirker smacked an RBI-double that plated Savas and moved to third on the throw home.  Emily Trotman made it a two-run game after lifting a sacrifice fly to right before Julia Sortisio, and Sammie Torlish followed suit with singles.  After a wild pitch allowed both runners to move up a bag, Sarah Kubik clubbed a single to center to score a run and promptly stole second to put two runners in scoring position with just one away.

Ashley Prince kept the inning going with a walk to load the bases and Mary Claire Grosvenor picked up an RBI with a groundout to the Houghton Pitcher.  As the frame continued, Sam Schermerhorn worked a walk to reload the bases before Savas came to the dish and ripped a two-run single to make it 6-0 in the Cardinals' favor. 

Fisher tacked on another run in the top of the fourth when Kubik lifted an RBI double that scored Torlish who had reached on an error to make it 7-0 before the Highlanders could retire the side. 
 
After a scoreless fifth inning of play, Fisher added four more runs on four hits in the sixth to take a commanding 11-0 advantage.  Sortisio led off with a double and advanced to third as Torlish reached on an infield single.  With two on and no outs, Kubik belted her second run-scoring double of the game before Prince stepped in and delivered a three-run home run to cap the big inning.

Senior pitcher Lindsey Thayer, who was named the Empire 8 Pitcher of the Week on Monday, earned her eighth win of the year (8-3) after throwing 4.1 no-hit innings.  Thayer faced 15 batters overall and recorded 12 outs via strikes.  Emily Trotman pitched 1.2 innings in relief and allowed one run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Kubik had a monster game going 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored while Prince was 1-for-3 with a homer and three RBI overall.  Sortisio, Torlish and Savas each collected two hits in the win. 

FISHER 11, HOUGHTON 0 (SIX INNINGS)

Monica Moses picked right up where Thayer left off in game one as the senior right-hander moved to 3-2 on the season with the win.  Moses pitched a complete game shutout and yielded just two hits while recording a season-best 11 strikeouts.  She did not surrender a walk.

The Cardinals did the bulk of their work in the fourth inning after plating six runs on just two hits.  After recording an out to start the frame, Houghton allowed three straight hitters to reach before Maddie Klidonas, who hit the walk-off single against nationally-ranked Ithaca on Saturday, drove in a run with a fielder's choice and reached base to make it 1-0.  Savas came to the plate and produced the same result as Houghton was unable to make an out at home.  With the bases loaded and one out, Kirker singled to score Grosvenor while a two-out error by the Highlanders allowed two more runs to cross home plate with the score at 5-0.  Sortisio notched the final RBI of the inning with a sac fly before the Highlanders finally got off the field.

After Moses struck out the side in the home half of the fourth, Fisher added another run in the fifth when prince lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it a seven run contest.

In the top of the sixth, the Cardinals' lead grew to 11 runs after the visitors came up with four more runs on four hits.  Torlish, Kubik, Alexa Montemayor and Lyndsey Murray were each credited with an RBI in the inning as the Cardinals sent nine hitters to the batter's box overall.

The Cardinals produced 11 more hits in the nightcap led by Kubik who had two hits in four at-bats with an RBI and three runs scored.  Sortisio had two hits of her own while Trotman, Torlish, Prince, Grosvenor, Murray, Klidonas and Kirker each had a hit.

The Cardinals are scheduled to play next at 3 p.m. on Friday in a doubleheader against Nazareth College at the Softball Complex.