PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The top-seeded St. John Fisher College baseball team fell in the opening game of the Empire 8 Championship before tying the program record for runs scored in the nightcap as the Cardinals split with fourth-seeded Elmira College at Dugan Yard on Friday to open the conference tournament.  With the split, the Cardinals moved to 27-14 while the Soaring Eagles closed out the afternoon at 13-23-1 overall.

ELMIRA 6, FISHER 5

With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the second, Fisher forged ahead after Luke Duffy sent a shot over the center field wall to give the home team a 2-1 edge.

After swapping zeroes over the next two innings, Elmira came to life at the plate with four runs on three hits including a three-run blast in the top of the fifth to open up a 5-2 advantage before the Cardinals could retire the side.

Still facing a three-run gap in the bottom of the seventh, Fisher countered as Noah Campanelli led off with a single the opposite way before Ben Lavery was hit by a pitch.  With two on and one away, Nick Lemire worked a walk to load the bases before Brian Norsen drove in a run with a groundout to second.  Trailing 5-3 with two runners still occupying a base, Duffy collected two more RBI with a two-out single to right that tied the game at five runs aside.

In the top of the eighth, Elmira put its leadoff hitter on with a single and moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.  After making a change on the mound, Fisher notched the second out of the inning with a flyout, but was unable to get off the field as the Soaring Eagles singled trough the right side to drive in what turned out to be the game-winning run.

Following a scoreless eighth inning, Fisher came to bat in the bottom of the ninth facing a one-run deficit.  Lemire would reach on an infield error before Norsen singled to move the tying run into scoring position.  With two on and the heart of the order due up, Elmira was able to work out of the jam with a strikeout and a lineout to right to earn the 6-5 decision.

Alec Teska started for Fisher and surrendered five runs on seven hits over five innings.  Russell Dunlap (5-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing one run on two hits over 2.1 frames before being lifted for Ryan O'Mara who gave up one hit in 1.2 innings of work.

FISHER 31, ELMIRA 2

In the nightcap, the Cardinals greeted the Elmira with starter with seven runs after sending 11 hitters to the plate before the side was retired.  In all, Fisher came away with eight hits as Ethan Perry, Campanelli, Beimel, Lemire and Duffy each driving in at least one run.

The Cardinals continued to pour it on in the bottom of the second after a leadoff double from Beimel came around to score when Norsen drove him in with a single up the gut.  With one run already in, Fisher forced the Soaring Eagles into an error on the base paths as Norsen scampered home to make it 9-0 heading to the top of the third.

After giving a run back in the top of the fourth, the Cardinals strung together another deep inning after 18 hitters came to the dish resulting in 12 runs on seven hits to open up a 21-1 cushion.

Connor McHugh moved to 7-1 on the hill for the Cardinals after allowing just one run over five innings.  Jason Wall held Elmira to one run over the final four innings and finished with a career-best eight strikeouts to earn his first-career save.

The team went on to produce 31 runs in the win, which matched a program record set in 2001 when the Cardinals defeated Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, 31-6.

The two teams will faceoff at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Dugan Yard with a spot in the Empire 8 Championship series on the line.