Fisher and Stevens Split Doubleheader on First Day of E8 Play
St. John Fisher College and Stevens Institute of Technology opened Empire 8 play in 2013 with a split Friday afternoon doubleheader. With the split, the Cardinals are now 9-6 on the season and 1-1 in the conference while Stevens moves to 10-6, 1-1. Both teams will face off at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday for another conference doubleheader.
Game One: Fisher 10, Stevens 7
Fishers Sean Osterman drove in the eventual winning run with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, plating himself and two of his teammates to take a 9-3 lead over the Ducks. Ben Bostick and Chris Roeder started the inning with back-to-back singles through the left side before Osterman’s blast.
Later in the sixth, Brad Rush walked and was driven in two batters later by a Matt Creenan double to right centerfield for Fisher’s last run of the game.
Sean Badger got the start on the mound, improving to 2-1 on the year with the win. The transfer went five innings, scattering seven hits, fanning five batters and allowing just three runs. Erin Moskal and Aaron Benton pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, each allowing two runs in their outings.
Osterman finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored while Nick Flemister went 2-for-3, crossing the plate twice while driving in two more runs. Also finishing with two hits was Creenan, Roeder and Bostick, with Roeder and Bostick each finishing with a run scored and a RBI. Creenan did not score but drove in two teammates.
Seven of the Cardinals nine hitters finished with a hit against Stevens in game one.
Game Two: Stevens 9, Fisher 5
The Ducks again wasted no time to take an early lead as they put up three runs in their first hacks of the nightcap. After the first two batters of the stanza were retired, Dan Allen singled and then stole second. Michael Donovan drove Allen in on a single of his own for the first run of the game. Donovan advanced on a wild pitch and scored on the third straight hit of the rally from Jayson Yano. Yano moved up on a steal and came home after a throwing error by the Fisher second baseman to cap off the inning.
Fisher displayed its own two-out rally in the top of the second by way of a three-run homer from Shane Barley on a full count. A single and walk put two runners on for the Cardinals with one out and after a strike out, Barley smacked the tying blast to right field.
Stevens went down quietly in the second but built a 7-3 after the third inning with four runs in the frame which chased Fisher starter Tom Dybas out of the contest after 2.2 innings pitched. Sophomore Marc Calleo dealt the big blow of the inning with a two-run triple to center after the ball scooted by a diving Osterman and scored Mannello and Sieber.
Dybas allowed seven runs over 2.2 innings on eight hits with three strike outs.
In the fourth, the Ducks put two more runs on the board and could have scored more if it weren't for a robbed three-run home run by Sean Osterman in dead centerfield off the bat of Ryan Mannello. With two on and no out, Mannello hit a drive to straightaway center, but Osterman fell through the fence and made a terrific catch to keep all three runs off the board. Donovan moved up to third on a tag up and Yano stole second a few pitches later which allowed Nicholas Sieber to knock both in on a single down the left field line.
Fisher tried to claw back into the game with one run in the fifth and sixth innings but could not string a rally together to produce more offense.
Sophomore Matt Buccheri picked up the win in five innings pitched with three strike outs. Buccheri gave up five hits and four earned runs before giving way to freshman Ryan Patterson who sat down four batters over the final two innings.
Stevens' offense was spread throughout all nine hitters in Game Two and the Ducks swiped seven bags in the victory.