St. John Fisher Walks-Off with a Win Over Ithaca in a Pitchers Duel
The St. John Fisher College baseball team won in walk-off fashion on Friday afternoon at Dugan Yard, scoring a run in the ninth inning with one out to beat visiting Ithaca College 1-0.
Peter Krysztof led off the ninth with a base hit blooper that flew over a leaping shortstop into left center field. Sean Osterman then took to the plate and sacrifice bunted Krystof to second. Ben Ward came to the dish next and delivered the game-winning walk-off base hit with a single up the middle that scored Krysztof from second.
The game was really a pitching duel between Cardinals starter Justin D’Amato and Bombers’ starter Pat Lemmo. Both pitchers went the distance, with D’Amato earning the win to move to 8-0 on the season.
The sophomore retired the first 11 Ithaca hitters in order before giving up a hit with two outs in the fourth to break up the perfect game. D’Amato threw a complete-game five-hit shutout to earn the victory while striking out four Bombers batters.
Ithaca threatened twice in the game, the best opportunity coming in the seventh when Teagen Barresi, a former Fisher student, tried scoring from first on a double in the left center gap. Ward strated the relay in left field, hitting the cut off in the form of Chris Roeder, who turned and hosed the ball to catcher Nicholas Flemister. Flemister blocked the outside slide by Barresi with his left leg, tagging him out to end the inning.
In the eighth, the Bombers threatened again, putting runners on second and third with two outs but D’Amato induced a fly ball to Matt Klock in right field to end Ithaca’s hopes.
Steven Karnyski and Krysztof each had two hits in the contest, while Krysztof scored the only run of the game. Osterman, Ward and Bostick each finished 1-for-3, with Ward driving in the winning run and drawing a walk.
With the win, Fisher moves to 20-8 overall and 5-4 in the Empire 8 Conference while Ithaca falls to 18-6-1, 8-2.