CLERMONT, Fla. – The St. John Fisher softball team split two exciting games in the Spring Games on Monday, falling 17-12 to Alma College before taking down Marian University 6-4. With the results, the Cardinals moved to 3-1 on the young season.

Game 1: Alma College 17, St. John Fisher 12

The Scots jumped on Fisher in the first inning, as senior infielder Julia Duncan got the scoring started with an RBI single. Alma strung together two walks and six singles to drive in five more runs in that frame. The Scots continued building on their lead in the bottom of the second, as a Christa Munn 2-run double and a Fisher error made it 8-0.

The Cardinals got on the board in the third, as senior outfielder Gracie Curella used her speed to force an infield error, stole second base, advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on a sacrifice fly from freshman infielder Sarah Gross. Senior catcher Isabella Mahar punctuated the frame with a two-run double to left center, cutting the Cardinals' deficit to 8-3. 

Alma responded with a run in each of the next two innings to push its advantage to 10-3, but the Cardinals would not go down easily. In the top of the fifth, Fisher stormed back with nine runs on seven hits, two walks and an error to take its first lead of the game, 12-10. Shackleton and McManus both drove in runs with doubles to make it 10-5 before RBI singles from junior CC Holmes and Currella made it a three-run game. After a bases-loaded walk from Gross plated a run, the Cardinals took an 11-10 lead when three runs scored on a Shackleton single and a subsequent misplay in the outfield. The ninth run of the inning came across on an error that allowed McManus to reach first, giving the Cardinals a 12-10 lead. 

Alma responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth, and kept the momentum swinging its way in the sixth, driving in six more runs to take a 17-12 lead in the back-and-forth ballgame. The Cardinals got two runners on base in the top of the seventh but could not spark another rally. 

Game Notes

• Shackleton led the Cardinals' potent offense in the game, getting on base all five times she came to the plate, going 4-4 with a walk, double and three RBI. She also scored three runs.

• Shackleton's four hits marked a career high. 

• Mahar drove in multiple runs for a second consecutive game. 

• Curella recorded her first collegiate stolen base. 

Game 2: St. John Fisher 6, Marian University 4

The Cardinals' defense and pitching bounced back in a big way in their 6-4 victory over Marian University to finish the day. 

Shackleton continued her great day at the plate in the first inning, knocking in Gross after she doubled and stole third base. Junior pitcher Molly Kuhn stabilized the Cardinals in the field, retiring the side in order in each of the first three innings. 

Fisher extended its lead in the bottom of the third, when Gross tripled for her second extra-base hit of the game and came in to score on a McManus single. Marian responded in the top of the fourth, however, as an RBI double from junior pitcher/infielder Savanna Knuth capped off a two-out, two-run rally to tie the game. 

In a day of back-and-forth softball, the Cardinals continued the trend by taking the lead right back in the bottom of the frame. Curella roped a double down the left field line, driving in freshman utility player Kate Middendorf, who pinch-ran for sophomore infielder Maddy Schubach, who led off that half of the inning with a single to right field. 

The Cardinals added on in the fifth, as Shackleton walked before McManus blasted a two-run home run to left field to make it 5-2. 

The Sabers strung together three hits and narrowed the Fisher lead to 5-4 in the top of the sixth. It looked as though Marian may have been taking the momentum back, but Fisher used its speed to change that quickly in the bottom of the sixth. 

Senior infielder Leah Fron worked a walk to open the frame and was pinch-run for by junior outfielder Alyssa Dawson, who promptly stole second and advanced to third on an error. Senior infielder Madi Rose reached on a walk and took off for second base, drawing a throw that allowed Dawson to score to pad Fisher's lead to two runs, 6-4. 

Kuhn, who struck out a career-high seven batters, remained in the circle and worked around a single to finish off a complete-game win. She allowed four runs, all of them earned, on nine hits and zero walks. 

Game Notes

• McManus' home run in the fifth inning marked her second of the season. She has driven in three runs in two of the Cardinals' first four games. 

• Gross, McManus and Curella each recorded two hits.

• Curella has stepped up for Fisher early in the season, starting three games and recording at least one hit in each while scoring four runs and driving in three. 

Up Next

The Cardinals face Johnson & Wales at 10 a.m. and Lebanon Valley at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday.