PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Senior catcher Mari Spitz broke the St. John Fisher softball team's single-season RBI record as the top-seeded Cardinals opened the six-team portion of the Empire 8 Tournament with an 11-1 drubbing of SUNY Poly on Thursday at the SJF Softball Complex.
The No. 1-seeded Cardinals had the remainder of the day to rest and scout possible day-two opponents after the 10-run, six-inning win, which improved their record to 27-13 overall. SUNY Poly (20-16), the No. 7 seed, avoided elimination later in the day with a 10-2 victory over No. 5-seeded Nazareth, which lost 11-3 in six innings to No. 2-seeded Alfred in the other morning ballgame.
The Cardinals face No. 3-seeded SUNY Geneseo, which lost its first game of the tournament 9-7 to No. 4-seeded Utica, at 9 a.m. on Friday. Alfred and Utica will follow at 11:30 a.m.
Spitz had three RBI in the ballgame to push her season total to 48. Three players – Leanne Merchant (47 in 2012), Nicole Lanieu (47 in 2001) and Danene Sneddon (47 in 1998) – had shared Fisher's single-season RBI record for the last 13 years.
How It Happened
Spitz and fellow middle-of-the order slugger Emily McManus led the Cardinals with three RBI apiece in the win over Poly. Senior pitcher Ainsley Evanetski allowed one run on three hits and four walks while striking out seven batters en route to her team-leading 13th victory of the season.
Spitz got the Cardinals on the board in the second inning, ripping a single to left center that scored McManus, who led off the frame with a double to center field. The Cardinals went ahead 2-0 later in the inning when Amalia DeMartino scored on Cassidy Evanetski's sacrifice fly to right field.
The Cardinals blew the game open with a five-run fifth inning, during which Spitz drove in two more runs with a double down the right field line. DeMartino drove in one with a double down the left field line, and Tori LoPresto brought home another with a single to right center.
In the sixth, Taylor Shackleton singled home Madi Rose before McManus snuck a three-run home run just inside the right field foul pole to complete the mercy rule victory.
McManus tied Fisher's single-season home runs record (14) with that long ball. She had three hits in three at-bats, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
Up Next
The Cardinals face No. 3-seeded SUNY Geneseo at 9 a.m. on Friday at the SJF Softball Complex. The Cardinals split their regular-season doubleheader against the Knights.
