PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Tuesday's non-conference softball doubleheader was a wild one, but St. John Fisher College split a pair of one-run games against SUNY Cortland on a picture-perfect spring afternoon at the Softball Complex.

The Cardinals (3-11) walked off in the first matchup, 4-3, as Amalia DeMartino raced to first to beat the throw on an infield single that allowed Maddie Nadrich to score from third. In the nightcap, the Red Dragons (11-9) rallied in the sixth inning and held off a late comeback attempt by Fisher for a 9-8 victory.

St. John Fisher 4, SUNY Cortland 3
Fisher entered the final inning clinging to a 2-1 lead, but the Red Dragons used a little two-out magic to take their first lead of the contest. Although the first two Cortland hitters went down with relative ease, Julz Koch smacked a deep fly ball into left for a double, and Alyssa Finno followed with a two-run home run that put the Red Dragons ahead by one, 3-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, Abby Flakus and Allison Rogowski worked out back-to-back walks to put the tying and winning runs on base. Allie Klonowski leveled the score at 3-all with an RBI grounder that allowed Abby Parks to score from third. SUNY Cortland pitcher Isabel Milazzo uncorked an untimely wild pitch in the ensuing at-bat, moving Nadrich 90 feet from home in the process. 

Down 1-2 in the count with two outs, DeMartino chopped a ground ball back up the middle. Cortland shortstop Tori Reich gathered the ball in front of the second base bag but didn't have enough time to make the throw across the infield. With DeMartino safe at first, Nadrich zipped home for the walk-off victory.

First-year pitcher Ainsley Evanetski continued her recent run of strong performances on Tuesday. Evanetski picked up her second collegiate win with a complete-game effort, as she gave up three runs on only four hits and struck out a trio of Red Dragons.

SUNY Cortland 9, St. John Fisher 8
The Cardinals looked to use the momentum from the exciting walk-off win in the late bout, but SUNY Cortland spoiled their hopes with a four-run sixth inning.

Down 6-5 in the sixth, Cortland's Tori Reich doubled home the tying run. With two away, the Red Dragons added the go-ahead run on an infield single, before loading the bases and driving in two insurance runs on a McKenna Barry two-bagger.

St. John Fisher responded in the home half of the frame, cutting the 9-6 deficit down to one. A Flakus walk, Rogowski single, and Mari Spitz hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the Cardinals with two outs. Looking to play hero again for Fisher, DeMartino looped a soft liner into left field, plating two runs to make it a 9-8 score. Alas, Cortland's Lindsey Richards retired the side in order in the seventh to preserve the one-run lead.

On an afternoon that saw both teams combine for six home runs, Klonowski and Emma Smith flexed their muscle in the second contest. Klonowski launched a pair of moonshots in the second and fifth innings, while Smith left the yard with a two-run blast in the fourth. Both players logged three RBIs, while DeMartino finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs in the second game.

Suiting up for a third consecutive afternoon, the Cardinals return to action on Wednesday, April 6, with a brief road trip to crosstown rival Rochester Institute of Technology. First pitch between Fisher and the Tigers is 3:00 p.m.