ALBANY, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College softball team made quick work of The Sage Colleges on Saturday after sweeping the Gators in an Empire 8 doubleheader.  With the wins, Fisher, which made its Empire 8 debut, improved to 10-11 on the season and 2-0 in the conference while the Gators ended the day at 8-13, 2-3, respectively.
 
FISHER 12, SAGE 2 (FIVE INNINGS)

It didn't take long for the Cardinals to put the Gators in a hole as the visitors jumped out to a quick 3-0 edge in the top of the first inning.  After a ground out to start the game, six straight hitters would reach.  Emily Trotman, Ashley Prince and Rachel Evans lined consecutive singles to load the bases before Sarah Kubik belted a two-run single through the left side to make it a two-run affair.  From there, Sammie Torlish kept the rally going with a two-out single to left that plated Evans and made it 3-0.

Sage would get a run back in the home half of the first courtesy of a leadoff home run, but the Cardinals answered with four runs on four hits in the top of the second to push their lead to six runs.  Evans drove in a pair with a two-run single before Kubik brought her home with her fourth home run of the season.

Leading by six runs in the top of the third, the Cardinals struck again with Maddie Klidonas and Trotman each driving in a run to make it 9-1 in Fisher's favor.

In the fourth inning, the Cardinals blew the game wide open with three runs on five hits including a two-run blast from Mary Claire Grosvenor to hold a commanding 12-1 edge.

The Gators were able to score one run in the bottom of the inning, but that was as close as they would get as the Cardinals cruised to their first win in conference play.

Trotman took the circle to start and pitched two innings overall.  The sophomore allowed one run on two hits and fanned three.  Allison Rogowski was credited with the win to move to 3-5 after pitching three innings with one run and three Ks to her ledger. 

FISHER 9, SAGE 0 (FIVE INNINGS)

Head coach Bari Mance's team got on the board early again in the nightcap as Julia Sortisio led off with a single before Prince pushed her home with a double to right field to make it 1-0.

After a quick bottom of the first, the Cardinals were at it again in the top of the second with five runs on four hits.  Torlish got the rally going with a single down the right field line before scoring on an infield error by the Gators.  With a runner on and one down, Klidonas drove in a run before Prince came to the plate and boomed a three-run home run to make it 6-0.

In the third inning, the Cardinals tacked on another run when Grosvenor lifted her second home run of the day to make it 7-0.  From there, Fisher put the game on ice in the top of the fifth when Grosvenor struck again with another homer as the senior backstop crushed a two-run shot over the left field fence to make it 9-0.

Prince was 2-for-4 in the game with a home run one double, four RBI and two runs scored while Grosvenor had two home runs and three RBI overall.

In the circle, Trotman moved to 7-5 with the win after throwing a complete game shutout.  Trotman scattered four hits and had five strikeouts.

The Cardinals will look to keep it rolling at 1 p.m. on Sunday when they tackle Utica College on the road in an Empire 8 doubleheader.