Courtesy of Empire8.com
ALFRED, N.Y. – The No. 2 seeded St. John Fisher University softball team (28-12) defeated No. 3 seed Russell Sage College (23-18) by a score of 6-1 in the decisive seventh game of the 2023 Empire 8 Softball Championship, held at Harrington Field on the campus of Alfred University on Saturday, May 13. Russell Sage forced the decisive game by defeating the Cardinals, 1-0 in game six earlier in the day.
The Cardinals secured the Empire 8’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division III tournament and will next look toward the NCAA Division III Regionals with the Selection Show scheduled to air on Monday, May 15 at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com. The Cardinals are Empire 8 Champions for the eighth time in program history.
Senior outfielder Allie Klonowski was named the 2023 Empire 8 Softball Championship Most Valuable Player. She enjoyed a tremendous tournament, batting .462 (6-for-13) with three runs scored and two RBI in the four games.
Facing elimination, Russell Sage pitcher Graduate player Taylor Dicranian threw a complete game shutout as she helped the Gators force the decisive contest, knocking off St. John Fisher, 1-0 for her first shutout win of the year. Dicranian threw a complete game, allowing just three singles with no walks and no strikeouts as she recorded her 13th win of the year. The Cardinals could muster just three hits and did not have a runner reach second base until the seventh inning.
Russell Sage scored the only run of the game in the top of the second inning as with one out, rookie Amber Banas walked. She went to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Madalyn Ring had a single to short and advanced to second on a throwing error at second that allowed Banas to score the only run of the game, giving the Gators the 1-0 lead.
Senior Jess Patterson suffered the loss for the Cardinals, after she scattered five hits across seven innings of with one walk and seven strikeouts, while not allowing an earned run.
In the decisive game of the tournament, the Cardinals jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the second inning. The Gators out-hit St. John Fisher, 11-7 but left eight runners on base.
Maddie Donlin was 2-for-3 with a home run, double and three RBI to lead St. John Fisher offensively in the decisive contest.
In the second, Mari Spitz led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on an error. Klonowski reached on that error and scored on a double by Donlin. Cassidy Evanetski drove in the third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Gators got one run back in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Banas doubled, moved to third on a bunt single by Madalyn Ring and came around to score on a bloop single by Aly Murphy. Ring was thrown out a third base trying to advance, which ended the inning.
The Cardinals would add three key insurance runs in the top of the seventh, as Klonowski singled and scored on a double to the left-centerfield gap by Kelly Cournoyer. Donlin followed by putting the game away with a two-run homer.
St. John Fisher hurler Ainsley Evanetski scattered 11 hits to earn her ninth win of the season. She struck out four batters and threw 72 of her 102 pitches for strikes in the complete-game effort.
Arianna Papas went 3-for-4 with a double for the Gators, while Amber Banas went 3-for-3, also hitting a double. Dicranian threw her second complete game of the day for Russell Sage, allowing seven hits and six runs (four earned).
2023 Empire 8 Championship Tourmament Schedule
Tuesday, May 9 (First Round at Nazareth)
No. 5 Elmira defeated No. 4 Nazareth, 7-5 – BOX SCORE
All Double Elmination Tournament Games at Alfred
Thursday, May 11
Game 1 – No. 2 St. John Fisher defeated No. 3 Russell Sage 9-1 (5 innings) – BOX SCORE
Game 2 – No. 1 Alfred defeated No. 5 Elmira, 6-0 – BOX SCORE
Friday, May 12
Game 3 – No. 2 St. John Fisher defeated No. 1 Alfred , 3-1 (8 innings) – BOX SCORE
Game 4 – No. 3 Russell Sage defeated No. 4 Elmira, 7-1 – BOX SCORE (elimination game)
Game 5 – No. 3 Russell Sage defeated No. 1 Alfred, 5-4 – BOX SCORE (elimination game)
Saturday, May 13
Game 6 – No. 3 Russell Sage defeated No. 2 St. John Fisher, 1-0 – BOX SCORE
Game 7 – No. 2 St. John Fisher defeated No. 3 Russell Sage, 6-1 – BOX SCORE
2023 Empire 8 Softball Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player
Allie Klonowski, Sr., OF, St. John Fisher University
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