PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College baseball team closed out its Empire 8 regular season schedule on Friday with an 8-2 loss to Stevens Institute of Technology at Dugan Yard.  With the loss, Fisher fell to 25-13 on the season and 13-5 in the conference standings while the Ducks improved to 24-14 and 15-3 with the win.

Both starting pitchers were dealing over the first five innings as neither had allowed a run until the Ducks broke through in the top of the sixth with four runs on three hits and a Fisher error.

Stevens added to its lead with three more runs in the seventh followed by a run in the ninth to head to the final frame with an eight-run edge.

In the home half of the ninth, Allen Murphy singled to off the Stevens' pitcher and moved to second when Michael Beimel singled through the right side.  Following a walk to Stephen Edgett to load the bases, Ryan Brown blooped a single to right to plate the Cardinals' first run of the day.  As the inning continued, Peter Pinque pushed home a run with a sharply hit single to center to make it 8-2, but the Ducks were able to notch the final two outs with back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and seal the win.

Jake Hewitt started for the Cardinals and went six innings.  Hewitt, who had not started since March 4th, allowed three runs on five hits and finished the day with three strikeouts to his credit.  Alec Teska pitched an inning and gave up three runs on four hits while Rylan Baker yielded one hit over an inning of work.  Morrie Silver surrendered one run on one hit in the top of the ninth. 

The Cardinals return to the diamond at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday when they host Keystone College in a non-conference twin billing.