Courtesy of Empire8.com
Cardinals win ninth Empire 8 Championship in program history
PITTSFORD, NY – The top-seeded St. John Fisher University softball team faced an uphill battle on Saturday, coming into the Empire 8 Championship Final needing to win two games over No. 3 seed Utica University to secure the conference title. The Cardinals achieved the goal with a 4-2 win in the first game and then an impressive 9-1 victory in five innings. The results make it back-to-back conference titles for the Cardinals and their ninth in program history. St. John Fisher moved to 34-5 in 2024, while Utica had its season end with a 22-15 mark.
GAME SIX: No. 1 ST. JOHN FISHER 4, NO. 3 UTICA 2
The Cardinals grabbed the first lead of the game with a bases loaded walk by Amalia DeMartino. Utica answered in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 1-1. Fisher reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth with an RBI single up the middle by Cassidy Evanetski that score Kelly Cournoyer. Emily McManus helped extend the lead with her 12th home run of the season and then an error by Utica allowed DeMartino to cross home plate and make the score 4-1. The Pioneers chipped away with a run in the bottom of the frame, but Cassidy Ormond fended them off to secure the 4-2 win to force another game.
Rose finished the game 3-for-4, with Maddie Donlin being the only other Cardinals with a multi-hit game. Ormond pitched a complete game, going the full 7.0 innings, and allowed just two runs on two walks, seven hits and struck out two batters.
GAME SEVEN: NO. 1 ST. JOHN FISHER 9, NO. 3 UTICA 1 (5 INNINGS)
The Carduinals continued their momentum in the seventh and deciding game of the 2024 Empire 8 Tournament, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Donlin took off to steal second and an errant throw to third base by the Utica catcher allowed Rose to jog home. A couple of batters later, McManus hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Donlin and make the game 2-0.
After a scoreless second, the Cardinals erupted for five runs in the third. A two-run home run by Taylor Shackleton pushed the lead to four, and then a double by Mari Spitz scored McManus to make the score 5-0. Cournoyer put the ball in play and a Pioneer error allowed her to reach and for Spitz to come home. Emma MacLachlan ended the scoring with an RBI double to right center to score Cournoyer and bring the lead to 7-0.
In the fifth, after Utica scored a run, Spitz ended the competition with a two-run home run to center field the earned the team the 9-1 win.
Donlin finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Spitz was named tournament MVP after going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Ainsley Evanetski pitched a gem for the Cardinals, going 5.0 innings and allowing just one run on eight hits, one walk and struck out three.
The Cardinals will see who they play in the NCAA Tournament during the selection show on Monday, May 13 at 11 a.m.
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