HENRIETTA, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College baseball team mashed three home runs and had 13 RBI as the Cardinals tamed Rochester Institute of Technology, 14-8, in a non-conference tilt at Tiger Stadium.  With the win, Fisher, which is receiving votes in the latest D3baseball.com poll, improved to 7-2 while the Tigers fell 3-3 on the year.

After jumping out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning with Justin Graham, Luke Duffy and Ryan Simmons each driving in a run, the Cardinals were unable to throw up a zero in the home half of the inning as RIT tied the game at 3-3 with three hits of its own.

Both teams settled in and traded zeroes over the next three innings until the Cardinals sent 10 hitters to the dish in the top of the fifth and plated five runs on three hits to hold an 8-3 edge.  After retiring the leadoff hitter, RIT walked Patrick Kravitz who promptly stole second.  With one away and a runner in scoring position, Noah Campanelli replaced Kravitz at second with an RBI double and would score when Graham reached on an infield error by the Tigers' shortstop.  With two runs already in and another runner on, Brian Norsen and Adam Zebrowski each worked a walk to load the bases.  With the ducks on the pond and nowhere to put Duffy, the right-hander hit a single to center to score two to make it 7-3.  As the inning continued, Simmons would collect his second RBI of the game with a single the opposite way before RIT could escape the jam.

Fisher struck again in the top of the sixth with three more runs after Graham hit a two-run shot to right before Zebrowski lifted a solo shot over the left field fence to make it 11-3 in the visitors' favor.

After a scoreless home half of the sixth, Fisher's power carried over into the top of the seventh as Nico Morse delivered a solo shot well over the center field fence for his first-career hit and a 12-3 Fisher advantage.

Leading by nine runs, Fisher gave three back in the bottom of the eighth as RIT pulled to within 12-6, but Fisher worked out of trouble with a strikeout to strand a pair and head to the ninth with a six-run cushion.

Holding a sizable lead and with the heart of its order due up, Fisher put two on after Duffy walked and Morse singled.  With one away and a runner in scoring position, RIT was poised to get out of the inning unharmed after recording a strikeout, but the Tigers were unable to put away Kravitz as the senior doubled to center to score a pair and give Fisher a 14-6 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.

Needing a big inning against one of the better bullpens in the New York Region, RIT was able to score a pair, but Fisher hunkered down and induced a game-ending double play to earn the 14-8 decision.

Fisher banged out 13 hits in the win including four doubles and three homers.  Graham was 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and a pair of runs scored while Morse was 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored.  Campanelli had two hits in five at-bats along with a double and an RBI while Simmons made the most of his start after going 2-for-5 with two RBI.

RJ Kuruts moved to 4-0 on the year after the senior allowed three runs on six hits over six innings.  Kuruts fanned seven in the win before being lifted by Anthony Brophy who tossed a scoreless seventh inning.  Alec Teska was hit for three runs (one earned) over an inning while Marty Williams surrendered two runs on three hits in the ninth.

Fisher will have a quick turnaround as the Cardinals are set to play next at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the University of Rochester in another nine-inning, non-conference bout.