PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Junior infielder Taylor Shackleton broke St. John Fisher's single-season doubles record as the Cardinals (23-11, 14-4 Empire 8 Conference) split a road doubleheader against rival Nazareth (19-11, 13-5 Empire 8) on Tuesday evening. 

With four regular-season games remaining, the Cardinals (28 points) hold first place in the Empire 8 standings by two points over Nazareth (26 points), four points over Alfred (24 points) and six points over Geneseo (22 points). Nazareth has four conference games left, while Alfred has six and Geneseo eight.

Game One: St. John Fisher 8, Nazareth 7

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Emily McManus drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Isabella Mahar. CC Holmes followed with an RBI double to left field to make it 1-0. After Leah Fron and Julia Hollister drew back-to-back walks to load the bases, Madi Rose singled to left to drive in a run. Sarah Gross added a two-run single to center, giving Fisher a 4-0 lead.

Nazareth began to claw back in the third inning, when Kaijah Alexander blasted a two-run homer to cut Fisher's lead to 4-2. Nazareth scored another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Ruby Marrapese and tied the game in the fifth on Madison Hicks' single to left field. 

The Cardinals regained the lead in the sixth inning, which began with back-to-back walks from senior Gracie Curella and Rose. With one out, Shackleton roped her Fisher single-season record 18th double of the season to center field, scoring Curella to break the 4-4 tie. McManus followed with a single to left center that plated Rose and Shackleton to extend the Cardinals' lead to 7-4.

Nazareth pushed across a run in the bottom half of the inning, but Fisher added an insurance run in the seventh when Gross singled to right with two outs and a runner on third.

The Golden Flyers mounted a late rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Ella Maloney delivered a two-run single, but Fisher held on for the win.

Molly Kuhn earned the victory, her 14th of the season. She allowed seven runs while striking out three batters and walking one.

Game Notes:

• Shackleton set a single-season program record with her 18th double of the season. Leanne Merchant set the record with 17 in 2012, and Julia Sortisio matched that mark in 2017. 

• Rose, Gross and Shackleton each recorded two hits.

• Gross finished with a team-high three RBI. 

Game Two: Nazareth 10, St. John Fisher 1 (5 innings)

Nazareth took control early in game two. Morgan Russo hit a two-run home run in the second inning, and Alexis Brown added an RBI groundout to make it 3-0.

The Golden Flyers extended their lead in the third when Ashley Bell reached on an error that brought in two runs.

Nazareth broke the game open in the fourth. With the bases loaded, Russo and Maddy Spakowski each drew walks, and Marrapese was hit by a pitch to force in another run. Brown later added an RBI single to push the lead to 9-0.

Fisher's lone run came in the top of the fifth when Lauren Policare hit her first collegiate home run.

Holmes started in the circle for the Cardinals, while Ayla Terpening and Hallie Lorimer also saw action.

Game Notes:

• Policare recorded her first career home run.

Up Next

The Cardinals will travel to face SUNY Poly in an Empire 8 doubleheader on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. in Utica, N.Y.