Baseball | 4/19/2021 8:23:00 PM

HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College baseball team stayed unbeaten in Empire 8 play on Monday after taking both ends of a conference doubleheader against the Houghton College Highlanders.  With the wins, Fisher, which has now won its last five games in a row, improved to 17-4 and 8-0 in Empire 8 play while the Highlanders fell to 10-9 on the year and 2-6 against conference opponents.

FISHER 10, HOUGHTON 2

The Cardinals, who are receiving votes in the latest D3baseball.com poll, banged three home runs in the opener and RJ Kuruts earned his sixth win of the season on the mound as Fisher overwhelmed the Highlanders in the top of the first after Luke Duffy mashed a three-run home run before Houghton could retire the side.

Trailing by three runs in the bottom of the first, Houghton got two back with one swing after connecting for a two-run shot, but the Cardinals' bats stayed hot in the top of the second when James Ward, Jr. drilled his first-career home run that scored Jack Kelleher and made it 5-2.  As the inning continued, Brian Norsen delivered a two-out RBI single that plated Justin Graham to make it a four-run affair.

After trading zeroes over the next three innings, Fisher struck again in the top of the sixth.  Patrick Kravitz led off the frame with a double before Noah Campanelli worked a walk.  With two on and no outs, Graham followed suit with a walk to load the bases for Norsen who smashed a grand slam to make it 10-2 with one inning left.

Kuruts went the distance for Fisher as the senior allowed just two runs on four hits over seven innings of work.  The Forest City, Pa. native finished with 12 strikeouts.

FISHER 15, HOUGHTON 2

After falling behind by a run leading into the second inning, Fisher took the lead for good in the top half of the frame with five runs on four hits including a two-run single by Graham.

Fisher would throw up another crooked number in the top of the fourth with four more runs to open up a 9-1 edge. 

Houghton would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth, but was unable to escape trouble in the top of the sixth with Fisher coming away with five more runs on three hits including a two-run triple from Norsen to hold a 14-2 cushion.

The Cardinals tacked on another run in the top of the seventh before the game was called due to the newly installed 10-run rule in conference play.

Michael Poirier (1-1) went six innings and earned the win on the mound after giving up two runs on two hits to go along with a career-high nine strikeouts.  Marty Williams threw a perfect seventh inning and fanned one.

Fisher will return home to Dugan Yard at 4 p.m. on Wednesday when it hosts Utica College in a nine-inning game.