­­­­­­TUCSON, AZ. – Head Softball Coach Bari Mance moved two games closer to a significant coaching milestone as the St. John Fisher College softball team defeated Emerson College in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Abraham Lincoln Regional Park. With the victories, the Cardinals jumped to 4-2 on the season while winless Emerson was handed its third and fourth losses of the year.

FISHER 8, EMERSON 7
The Lions were held scoreless by Fisher freshman pitcher Jess Patterson over the first two frames, but Emerson took advantage of defensive errors made by the Cardinals and scored three runs in the third inning (two unearned).
Fisher's bats came alive in the bottom of the third as three-straight base knocks from Allison Rogowski, Maddie Klidonas, and Emily Trotman put one run across the plate, trimming the Emerson lead to two, 3-1. Maria Marcera was awarded a walk to load the bases for the Cardinals and Abby Flakus drew a sacrifice fly to score another Fisher run with just one out. With runners at second and third, Megan Kreger lined a pitch the left center field to score two more Fisher runs, as the Cardinals took their first lead of the game, 4-3.
The Fisher lead was extended in the fourth as a Lions defensive error allowed Rogowski to score from second base, then Flakus ripped an RBI single through the left side to put the Cardinals up, 6-3.
Emerson scored another run in the sixth which was met by a ground-rule double to advance the Cardinals' lead runner across the plate.
The Lions didn't give in – they scored two more runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game up at 7 runs apiece headed to the bottom of the seventh inning. Fisher was able to load the bases on two walks and a Lions defensive error, with three-hole hitter, Flakus, at the plate. The sophomore was able to slice a walk off single into center field to finish the contest in favor of the Cardinals, 8-7.
Rogowski led the Cardinals in hitting percentage in the game as she went 2-for-2 at the plate, Allie Klonowski had three hits in four at bats, Kreger knocked two hits in her three at bats while adding 2 RBI and Flakus went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI.
Patterson was awarded her first-career pitching victory after pitching a complete game, allowing six hits, and striking out eight batters.

FISHER 5, EMERSON 1
The Cardinals got on the board early as they were able to score three runs in the first two innings without recording a hit. In the top of the first, Trotman walked and stole second, followed by Marcera who took advantage of a Lions defensive error to get on base and score Trotman. After Flakus grounded out to advance Marcera to third, Kreger grounded out which allowed Marcera to score. Just an inning later, the Emerson pitcher walked three Fisher batters in a row to load the bases, then threw a wild pitch to advance all Cardinals, extending the SJFC lead to three.
Emerson scored a run after doubling and RBI singling to open the bottom of the second inning, but that would end their scoring for the rest of the day.
Following two walks in the top of the fourth inning, Klonowski reached first on a dropped third strike to load the bases before Sammie Torlish singled through the left side to score two more Cardinals runs.
The Cardinals tallied just three hits in the contest from Klonowski, Torlish, and a triple from Klidonas while RBI were hit by Kreger (1) and Torlish (2).
Fisher starting pitcher, Trotman, allowed just three hits over the remainder of the contest, which gave Head Coach Mance an opportunity to give every able-bodied Cardinal an at bat. Trotman struck out seven of the 27 Lions' batters that she faced in her complete game.
Softball gets back to work on Friday, March 6 as the Cardinals continue their Spring Break trip in Tucson and Coach Mance seeks win number 200 in the NFCA Leadoff Classic against Berry College (Ga.) at 1:30 P.M. MST (3:30 P.M. EST) and against East Texas Baptist University at 3:30 P.M. MST (5:30 P.M. EST).