Courtesy of athletics.SJFC.edu
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College baseball team swept both ends of a doubleheader against visiting Ithaca College on Saturday as the Cardinals improved to 5-1 in the Empire 8 Conference. With the wins, Fisher ended the day at 12-7 overall while the Bombers fell to 9-9 on the year and 2-4 in the conference standings.
FISHER 4, ITHACA 3
Anthony Brophy pitched a complete game in the opener and earned his second win of the season to move to 2-1 overall. The sophomore yielded three runs (two earned) on eight hits and tallied four strikeouts on the day.
The Bombers got on the board early after plating one run on one hit and a Fisher error in the top of the second and would tack on two more in the top of the third after belting a two-run double to hold a 3-0 edge.
The Cardinals got on the board in a big way in the home half of the fourth and tied the game at 3-3 on the strength of three hits. Ryan Simmons led off the inning and reached first after being plunked before Scott Eisenemenger moved him into scoring position with a single to left. Following a sacrifice bunt from Jake Hewitt, Allen Murphy, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, blasted a double over the center fielder’s head to plate a pair before Victor Konstantinovsky kept the momentum going with a single through the left side. With two on and two away, Stephen Edgett worked a walk with Murphy scoring on a wild pitch to knot the game up heading to the top of the fifth.
Brophy continued to deal as the game wore on and held Ithaca at bay in the fifth and sixth frames. The Bombers went to their bullpen in the bottom of the sixth and Hewitt welcomed the new pitcher with a solo shot into the Cardinals’ bullpen on just the third pitch he saw to put the home team up 4-3.
In the top of the seventh, Ithaca put the leadoff man on with an infield single, but Brophy quickly erased the runner with a pickoff at first before retiring the side to seal the win.
Fisher had seven hits in the game overall with Konstantinovsky accounting for two. Murphy was 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI while Eisenmenger, Ryan Fahy, Simmons and Hewitt each had one hit.
FISHER 5, ITHACA 4
After a scoreless pair of innings, Ithaca broke through in the top of the third with two runs after loading the bases. The Bombers added another run in the top of the fifth with an RBI double, but Fisher roared back with four runs in the home half of the frame to hold a one-run lead. After a lineout to begin the inning, the Cardinals notched three straight singles to load the bases. Ithaca nearly escaped the jam without incident, but Murphy had other ideas as the sophomore outfielder lifted a two-run double to left before an Ithaca error allowed both Murphy and Simmons to scurry home to put the Cardinals team up, 4-3.
The Bombers tied the game in the sixth with a run but couldn’t get off the field in the bottom of the inning without surrendering the lead as Jack Vivinetto led off with an opposite field double before coming around to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
In the seventh, Ithaca looked poised to tie the game or take the lead as the Bombers had two runners on, but Fisher settled in and notched a strikeout and a groundout to second to end the threat with the lead intact.
RJ Kuruts started on the hill, but did not factor in the decision as the freshman gave up three runs on four hits over five innings of work. Kyle Chambers (2-1) earned the win in relief after going two innings and surrendering one unearned run. Chambers fanned two before giving way to Jared Wren who picked up a save over two innings.
The season continues for the Cardinals at 4 p.m. on Wednesday when they step out of conference play to host The College at Brockport at Dugan Yard.
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