PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher softball team outscored Houghton 30-0 in its home-opening doubleheader on Thursday evening at the Fisher Softball Complex. 

The Cardinals, who snapped a string of five straight losses, pulled back to .500 overall (7-7) and got off to a 2-0 start in Empire 8 Conference play with the victories. Houghton dropped to 5-11 with the losses. 

Senior catcher Mari Spitz drove in six runs and hit three two-run home runs over the two games. Sophomore infielder Taylor Shackleton, who also drove in six runs in the twin bill, had three hits in four at bats. 

Game 1: St. John Fisher 12, Houghton 0 (5 innings)

With some help from two Houghton errors, the Cardinals pounced on the Highlanders in the first inning to the tune of six runs. 

Junior Madi Rose made it 1-0 when she crossed the plate after senior Maddie Donlin stole second base. Shackleton plated Donlin with a single to center and advanced to third on a fielding error. She scored a few pitches later on a single by sophomore slugger Emily McManus.

The Cardinals went ahead 5-0 on a two-run double by senior Katie Mannis and 6-0 on Rose's infield single. 

Shackleton ripped a two-run home run, her second long ball of the season, to push the Cardinals' lead to 8-0 in the second inning. Spitz hit her first of three two-run homers on the day a few batters later to make it 10-0. 

Junior Isabella Mahar put the exclamation point on the blowout victory with a two-run homer off the bench in the fourth inning. The long ball marked her second home run of the season. 

Senior Ainsley Evanetski pitched all five innings for the Cardinals and tied her career high with 11 strikeouts. She gave up just one hit and walked three batters. 

    Notes

• Shackleton tied her career high with three RBI

• Evanetski tied her career-high with 11 strikeouts. 

• The Cardinals tied their season-high for home runs (three). 

Game 2: St. John Fisher 18, Houghton 0

The Cardinals set season highs in hits (19) and runs (18) en route to another mercy-rule victory over the Highlanders in the second game of the twin bill. 

Spitz hit her second two-run home run of the day in the first inning and her third in the second inning. Shackleton drove in two more runs on a double in the first inning and another on a sacrifice fly in the second, giving her six RBI on the day. 

Junior Leah Fron (3), freshman Maddy Schubach (2) and senior Cassidy Evanetski (2) also drove in multiple runs for the Cardinals. Donlin, senior Amalia DeMartino, junior Hallie Lorimer and sophomore Rachel Stabler each drove in a run. 

Senior Cassidy Ormond, who earned credit for the victory, allowed just two hits and struck out four batters while pitching four innings. Maddie Herdlein, also a senior, struck out two batters in relief in the fifth inning. 

    Notes

• Shackleton once again tied her career high in RBI (3). 

• Spitz tied her career high in RBI (4) and recorded her first collegiate multi-home run game. 

• Fron drove in a career-high three runs. 

• Schubach, Stabler and Lorimer drove in their first collegiate runs. 

Up Next

The Cardinals face Ithaca College at 3 and 5 p.m. Friday in Ithaca, New York.