St. John Fisher Sweeps Ithaca on Day One
The St. John Fisher College baseball team capitalized in the sixth inning of each game to earn a sweep over host Ithaca College in the first day of a four-game series against the Bombers.
Game one:
Fisher 4, Ithaca 1
Fisher scored three runs in the top of the sixth to break the 1-1 tie and earned the 4-1 win in game one on the day.
The Cardinals got on the board in the first inning after Leo Fusilli singled to left field to score freshman Chris Roeder, who reached on a fielder’s choice.
Ithaca answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Cardinals came up big in the sixth and the Bombers had no response for the three-run lead. Ben Ward and Ben Bostick each doubled to get on base, while Fusilli was intentionally walked, and a sacrifice fly from Steve Karnyski would score Ward to kick off run-scoring in the sixth. Junior Matt Klock stepped up to the plate and doubled to right center to score Bostick and Fusilli and cap off scoring in the game.
Josh Cox earned the complete-game win, scattering three hits and retiring eight batters.
Game two:
Fisher 5, Ithaca 4
With a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, Fisher worked its way out and hung on for the win.
The Bombers got on the board first, but Fisher tied it up at 1s in the third inning off Klock’s double to score Karnyski.
The Cardinals had a big sixth inning yet again, adding four runs to take the 5-1 lead, but the Bombers answered with three runs of their own in their next up to creep into only a one-run deficit.
Tim Sylvester relieved freshman Justin D’Amato in the bottom of the sixth, retiring a batter to end the inning. The junior right-hander then came up big in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save, striking out a Bomber batter, with Fusilli making the throw to second to capitalize on the double play. Sylvester ended the game with his third strikeout in only 1.2 innings pitched.
Ward went 1-for-3 in game two, recording a team-best two RBI, while Karnyski, Bostick, and Klock each recorded an RBI as well.
The Cardinals improve to 19-6 overall and 8-2 in Empire 8 play, and return to action tomorrow as they continue the four-game series at Freeman field.