Cardinals Game Two Rally Falls Short; Split with Alfred
The St. John Fisher College softball team and Alfred University split an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader with Fisher taking game one 9-1 and Alfred winning game two 4-3.
Fisher improves to 19-5 and 3-1 in the Empire 8, while Alfred moves to 14-8, 3-1.
Game One: Fisher 9, Alfred 1
Fisher used a five-run third inning to gain a sizeable lead over the host Saxons, which started with Krista Robarge getting on base due to an error on the right fielder.
Jennifer Vanek then hit a triple, her second in two games, to bring Robarge across the plate.
With one out, Meghan Burns singled to score Vanek followed by three-consecutive singles that led to a 3-0 score.
A groundout from Sarah Fordyce brought in Fisher’s fourth run, followed by another Cardinal single, this one from Kaylee Tallman, to make the score 5-0.
Fisher added single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, and a Robarge two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning made the score 9-1.
Alfred gained its only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth on an unearned run with two outs.
Tallman finished the game 3-for-4 from the plate and brought in two runs, including a solo home run in the fifth inning.
Kayla Goodberlet went 2-for-3 and drew one base on balls.
Burns also finished with two RBI, while Vanek and Robarge both had two runs scored.
Danielle Leone earned her 10
th consecutive win from the mound, moving her to 11-1 on the season.
Game Two: Alfred 4, Fisher 3
The Cardinals battled back from a 3-0 deficit in the top of the seventh inning, as the visitors tied the game at 3-3 on back-to-back home runs from Fordyce and Tallman.
However, the home team would not let the game slip away, as the Saxons hit four-consecutive singles in the bottom of the final inning to walk away with the one-run victory.
Alfred got off to an early lead after an error from Fisher with the bases loaded allowed an unearned run to score.
But, the Cardinals were able to get out of the inning with just the single tally.
The Saxons added runs in both the third and sixth innings, with one coming on a home run in the bottom of the sixth, leaving the Cardinals facing a 3-0 deficit in the final inning.
Leanne Merchant led off that inning with a double and was then scored on a two-run home run from Fordyce.
In the next at bat, Tallman kept the Cardinals in the game with a solo shot to draw things even at 3-3.
However, the hosts mustered four-straight singles without drawing one out to walk-off with the Empire 8 victory.
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Fordyce, Tallman, Merchant and Vanek all finished with one hit for Fisher, as the Cardinals were only able to connect on four pitches compared to Alfred’s 16 hits.
Cardinal pitcher Sarah Stefanon was able to strikeout eight batters in the game, but falls to 8-4 on the year with the loss.