PITTSFORD N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College softball team split a pair of games with Alfred University Friday afternoon with a 6-3 loss in game one, and a 4-0 shutout in game two. Following the games, Fisher moves to 6-12 overall, and 3-1 in the Empire 8, while Alfred moves to 11-10 on the season, and 3-1 in the conference.
FISHER 3, ALFRED 6
After a scoreless first inning,
Ainsley Evanetski returned to the mound to take on the middle of Alfred's lineup. Following a one-out double down the left field line, Evanetski gave up a single to put runners on the corners. Forcing a fly ball to right, the Saxons were able to put the first run to the plate on a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead.
As the game wore on, the Cardinals had their first scoring opportunity after an
Allie Klonowski walk, and a
Mari Spitz single up the middle.
Amalia DeMartino came up to the plate and poked a groundball to second, as the speedy shortstop forced an errant throw to the first baseman, sending Klonowski to plate to tie the game up 1-1.
Following an Alfred homerun in the top of the sixth, the Cardinals came up to bat trailing by one run with six outs to go. A leadoff double from
Allison Rogowski, and a Klonowski bunt single put runners on the corners with no outs. With Spitz at the plate, the catcher came up with a rocket off the leg of the Saxons pitcher to bring a run home and tie the match at 2-2.
The Cardinals would add another run to the board following back-to-back walks to take a 3-2 lead with one inning left to play.
With a one run lead, the Cardinals quickly found two outs before back-to-back homeruns would give the Saxons a two-run lead in the top of the 7th inning. Alfred would produce a double to left center to put another player to the plate before a strike out would end the inning.
Trailing 6-3, Fisher would go down in order and be handed its first Empire 8 loss of the season.
Spitz finished the game with two hits and one RBI, while Klonowski had one hit, two walks and two runs.
Evanetski earned her third loss (3-3) after giving up six runs and two walks with five strikeouts.
FISHER 4, ALFRED 0
Game two saw head coach
Bari Mance give the ball to freshman
Cassidy Ormond as she took the mound for the ninth time this season.
After a pair of no-hit innings, Ormond found herself in trouble as the Saxons produced a single to left followed by a hit by pitch. With two on and no-one out, catcher Spitz picked off the runner on first to give her pitcher some breathing room. After working a strikeout, Ormond let up a walk and threw a pitch in the dirt to put runners on second and third with two outs. Hoping to keep the game tied at 0, Ormond found her pitch and struck out the Alfred batter to end the inning.
With the Bottom of the 5th coming up and only four hits to their name, the Cardinals needed to produce on offense.
Becca Irizarry came up to the plate and roped a single up the middle, followed by a pinch hit, hit by pitch from
Kelly Cournoyer to put the Cardinals in scoring position.
Abby Flakus delivered in her plate appearance as the senior sent a single to right, loading the bases. The teams other senior, Rogowski put the ball in play to the short stop for an RBI fielder's choice to score the games first run.
The RBI put power hitter Klonowski to the plate with a chance to break the game open. On a two-strike pitch, Klonowski drove a ball deep in the gap to bring both runners to the plate. As Flakus was rounding third, an error from the Saxons short stop allowed Klonowski to round third and slide her way in for a "little league" homerun.
Leading 4-0, the Cardinals looked for Ormond to close out the game as the top of the 7th rolled around. A leadoff double from the Saxons put a runner in scoring position, before three-straight outs finished the complete game shutout.
Klonowski's two hits and two RBI led the way for Fisher, followed by Flakus with two hits and run scored.
Ormond earned her second win (2-4) after allowing just five hits, and tallying four strikeouts in the shutout.
The Cardinals will be back in action at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. as they travel to Houghton to take on the Highlanders in an Empire 8 matchup.
