SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher University baseball team opened the Empire 8 tournament on Thursday with a 15-6 win over No. 3 seed Utica, including two home runs by graduate student Brian Norsen, who became the program's all-time leader in home runs.

Norsen went 4-for-4 with four RBI in the victory, walking and doubling twice to go with his two round-trippers. The dingers in the third and sixth inning were his 41st and 42nd long balls as a Cardinal, tying and then passing Scott Eisenmenger on the program leader boards. 

Both home runs also came at important times: Norsen's third-inning bomb gave the Cardinals a two-run cushion, 3-1, while his two-run shot in the sixth further extended the lead to 6-2 as part of a nine-run inning that put the Cards up 12-2.

Freshman left fielder Jackson Frey also made a huge impression in his first career conference tournament game, going 3-for-5 and finishing a home run short of the cycle as part of a two RBI day. Senior James Murphy matched Norsen in RBI with four, notching a double in the process and opening the game's scoring with a one-run single in the first. 

Dominic Guccia, Jake Crantz, and Benjamin Huckans also drove in runs. 

On the mound, sophomore Ethan Fulton earned the win, going six innings of five-hit ball while allowing two runs and striking out three. Sophomore Cam Kingsley finished the game with two innings of hitless relief. 

The Cardinals now move into the winners' bracket of the double-elimination tournament, where they'll face No. 4 seed Houghton University after the Highlanders upset No. 1 seeded host Russell Sage in their opening game. A win on Friday will leave the Cardinals just one victory away from a trip to the NCAA Tournament.  Game time is 2:30 P.M. 

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