Fishr Sweeps LaGrange in Commanding Fashion
The St. John Fisher College softball team took two from LaGrange College on Tuesday night in a chilly doubleheader in Georgia. After handing LaGrange its first two losses of the season (4-2), Fisher moves to 2-2 overall.
Game One: Fisher 5, LaGrange 0
The Cardinals put together an all-around effort in game one of the doubleheader, shutting out the Panthers on their home field. Strong play on both offense and defense helped Fisher hold LaGrange scoreless in the win.
Fisher started the scoring early, with Meghan Burns singling on from the two slot. The sophomore was able to advance two bases on wild pitches before Leanne Merchant brought her home to go up 1-0.
The Cardinals expanded their lead in the fourth inning, adding three more runs. Lindsay Holtz led the inning off by drawing a walk and, with one out, Krista Robarge brought her across the plate with a double that just dropped in on the left field line. With Robarge and Christina Sakran on, Burns cleared the bases with a two-out blooper to shallow center field, making it 4-0.
Holtz brought in the final Cardinal run in the following inning after Merchant reached on a single. Jessica Smyrski came in to pinch run, eventually crossing the plate for the 5-0 final.
Danielle Leone pitch the first four innings for Fisher before being replaced by Sarah Stefanon in the fifth. The two combined for the one-hit shutout. Stefanon struck out seven of the nine batters she faced, as she was able to close both the fifth and seventh innings on solo efforts.
Burns led Fisher with two RBI, while Merchant finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Leone picked up three strikeouts and allowed just one hit with no walks.
Game Two: Fisher 13, LaGrange 5
The Cardinals kept the bats going in the second game of the day, with strong performances coming throughout the Fisher lineup. Kate Disbrow led the game off with a hustle play, beating out a throw to first and then advancing to second on an errant throw. After being moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, Disbrow was brought in by Kayla Goodberlet.
Fisher kept it going in that inning, when Merchant brought in Goodberlet. A single from Fordyce put two runners on, and Jess D’Angelo sent a hot shot that went through the legs of the shortstop, making it 4-0 after one.
It was 7-0 after the top of the third inning. Fordyce and Jennifer Knaak went back to back with doubles, Knaak’s scoring Fordyce, before Robarge hit a homerun to deep center to clear the bases.
The Panthers got on the board in that inning also, making it 7-2. But Fisher pushed it to an eight-run game in the fourth. Merchant and Fordyce both beat out throws on back-to-back plays, as the first and second basemen had trouble handling grounders. After D’Angelo drew a walk, the freshman Knaak pushed two across after she collided with the first baseman on a tag attempt, and the fielder dropped the ball. D’Angelo was later brought home by Smyrski to give Fisher a 10-2 lead.
Fisher had a chance in both the fifth and sixth innings to end the game early, up eight runs, but LaGrange found answers to cut it to a seven run game both times, forcing a seventh inning.
In the final inning, Knaak again came through at the plate, sending Olivia Fusilli and Hannah Freyer over home plate. Those would be the final runs scored in the marathon game, that lasted just over two and a half hours.
Knaak led Fisher with four RBI on two hits, while Fordyce was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Robarge finished the game 3-for-4 from the batter’s box, with two RBI and a run scored.
Lauren Wesolowski earned her first-career start in the circle, going 5.1 innings before Stefanon came in to close. Wesolowski sent six down on strikes in her starting debut.
The Cardinals will have Thursday off before opening up play at the NFCA Lead-Off Classic on Friday. Fisher will face St. Thomas (MN.) at 12:30 p.m. before taking on Methodist at 3 p.m.