AUBURN, N.Y. – Four different Cardinals went yard in Friday afternoon's non-conference baseball contest against Clarkson at Leo Pinckney Field at Falcon Park. St. John Fisher College took the decisive 19-6 victory to sweep the season series against the Golden Knights. Fisher remains undefeated and improves to 3-0 overall, while Clarkson drops to 0-3.
Fisher started the party started early in the bottom of the first inning as
Justin Graham took advantage of a leadoff walk and ripped a shot over the right field wall, to put the Cardinals up two runs.
The Cardinals recorded two quick outs to open up the bottom of the second inning, but they refused to take their foot off of the gas pedal. The top of the Fisher order worked back-to-back walks, which set
Brian Norsen up for a deep RBI double that bounced over the outfield fence, followed by a three-RBI bomb to left center field from cleanup hitter,
Noah Campanelli.
Up six runs, the Cardinals put two more runs on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI single from
Joe Ruggiero and an RBI ground out from Graham. The next inning, Fisher plated two more runners off of base knocks from
Jack Kelleher and
Luke Duffy.
Norsen's second double of the day and consecutive Clarkson errors loaded the bases for the Cardinals in the fifth inning. Two at bats later, a grand slam cranked to deep center field by
Adam Zebrowski extended the Fisher lead to 14. The knock was Zebrowski's second career home run and first career grand slam.
The Golden Knights gained back three runs, but the Cardinals' offense just kept producing. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Ruggiero ripped a leadoff double through the left side, only to be followed up by
Nick Lemire's first career hit, which brought the runner home. Two walks followed, and
Patrick Kravitz saw his first RBI of the season come on a sac fly to center field, putting the Cardinals up, 18-5. An inning later,
James Ward, Jr. sent a fastball towering over the left field fence, recording his first home run in a Cardinal uniform.
Fisher recorded 17 hits in the contest, with Norsen accounting for three of them, and Rugggiero, Graham, Campanelli, and Duffy each notching two. Zebrowski had a team-high 4 RBI, while Graham and
Ben Lavery had 2 RBI apiece.
Alec Teska, who was credited with the victory, tossed four innings for Fisher, allowing three hits and one run, and striking out four in 17 batters faced.
Tim Geissel threw the fifth inning in relief. Fisher pitchers struck out 11 in the matchup, as
Joseph Tronetti fanned three in the top of the ninth inning.
The Cardinals look to extend their streak at 2 P.M. on Wednesday, March 17, when they welcome Alfred State to Dugan Yard for their 2021 home opener.
