Courtesy: Fisher Athletics
The St. John Fisher College softball team climbed atop the Empire 8 standings on Saturday after sweeping both ends of a doubleheader against the Houghton College Highlanders at Kerr-Pegula Field. With the wins, Fisher improved to 8-12 overall and moved to 5-1 in the league standings while the Highlanders closed out the afternoon at 15-13, 3-5, respectively.
FISHER 9, HOUGHTON 5
After swapping runs in the first inning, Fisher put up a crooked number in the top of the third after Allison Rogowski and Allie Klonowski hit back-to-back RBI-doubles to make it 3-0.
In the top of the fifth, head coach Bari Mance‘s lineup produced five more runs on five hits and an error to hold an 8-1 edge. Becca Irizarry led off the inning with a single and moved up a base when Abby Flakus walked. After scoring an unearned run, Klonowski singled to load the bases before Mari Spitz belted a two-run double. From there, Amalia DeMartino drove in a run with a single to center before Claire Boegel followed suit with an RBI-single of her own before the Highlanders could get off the field.
The Highlanders got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth and two more on four hits in the sixth, but was unable to hold Fisher at bay as Boegel drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh for the team’s ninth run.
Ainsley Evanetski (4-3) was the pitcher of record after going 5.1 innings and allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits. Jenna Leydecker pitched the final five outs and allowed just one hit.
FISHER 11, HOUGHTON 7
The Cardinals got on the board in the top of the first after Irizarry led off the game with an infield single before moving into scoring position following a walk to Maddie Donlin. With two on and no outs, Flakus reached on a fielder’s choice that pushed Irizarry across home plate to make it 1-0.
After a scoreless home half of the first, Fisher blew the game wide open in the top of the second with six runs on three hits including RBIs from Ava Mills, Donlin and a two-run home run off the bat of Rogowski to open up a 7-0 edge.
Trailing by seven in the bottom of the third, Houghton was able to get its offense going with four runs on three hits and three costly errors to pull to within three runs heading to the fourth.
Following a scoreless fourth, Fisher tacked on two runs in top of the fifth when Rogowski powered a double to center that scored Kelly Cournoyer and Donlin to make it 9-4.
From there, the visitors plated two more runs in the sixth on two hits to hold a six-run lead. Spitz led off the inning with a double and moved to third following a passed ball before DeMartino worked a walk. With runners at the corners, Mills lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored Spitz before Irizarry followed suit with an RBI-single to make it 11-5.
Holding a comfortable lead with three outs left in play, Fisher had to work to close out the game as Houghton strung together four hits and scored two runs before the Cardinals could retire the side.
Cassidy Ormond (3-4) earned the win for Fisher after allowing seven runs (five earned) over seven innings of work. The freshman yielded 10 hits and finished with six strikeouts overall.
The Cardinals are scheduled to be back in action at 3 p.m. on Monday when they travel to Oswego to take on the Lakers in a non-conference doubleheader.
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