Fisher Takes Game One from Naz, Game Two Halted; Alfred Sweeps Houghton
ST. JOHN FISHER v NAZARETH
The St. John Fisher College softball team defeated Empire 8 Conference opponent Nazareth on a cold day at Flyer Field. The two teams were able to finish game one, with Fisher winning 11-0 in five innings, but game two was halted in the middle of the second inning.
Fisher (22-11, 7-4 E8) and Nazareth (5-17, 3-8 E8) will complete game two at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Game One: Fisher 11, Nazareth 0 (5 innings)
Leanne Merchant gave the Cardinals the lead with a three-run home run in the first inning, scoring Meghan Burns and Jessie Smryski. Kate Disbrow brought in the Cardinals fourth run of the inning with a single to centerfield that scored Sarah Fordyce.
The Cardinals doubled their lead in the third inning, picking up another four runs. Danielle Leone was slotted in the designated player spot for the series, a change from her typical pitching position. But Leone made it 5-0 with a deep single to center field that pushed Fordyce home. Disbrow, Smyrski and Kayla Goodberlet closed out the third with one RBI each, giving Fisher the eight-run needed to cut the game short.
But Fisher didn’t end the scoring there, as it added three more run in the fifth to go up 11-0. Smyrski picked her up second RBI of the game with a double that scored Krista Robarge. Goodberlet followed with a two-run single that brought home Smyrski and Disbrow.
Sarah Stefanon started for Fisher but was replaced by Lauren Wesolowski, who gets credited with the win, in the third inning with Fisher up 8-0. Both pitchers struck out three, while Wesolowski allowed just one hit.
Smyrski led Fisher with three hits; she and Merchant both had three RBI. Leone, Robarge, and Disbrow all connected twice.
ALFRED v HOUGHTON
The Alfred University softball team swept visiting Houghton College Friday afternoon, as the Saxons won their final two home games of the season. AU took the first game, 9-1, and the nightcap, 10-0. Both games ended after five innings as the Saxons improved to 17-11.
In the opener, Alfred led 2-1 after three innings when heavy rain halted the game. After a one- hour delay, play resumed and the Saxons plated five in the fourth and two in the fifth to initiate the run rule. In the second game, sophomore pitcher Alison Wickwire (Townada, PA/Towanda) overcame five walks to toss a five-inning no-hitter.
Sophomore pitcher Jessica O’Sullivan got the win for AU in the first game, allowing a run on three hits and striking out eight to improve to 9-1 on the year.
Junior outfielder Stephanie Arguello was 1-for-3 with a run and three RBIs; freshman shortstop Nicole Maher hit her sixth homerun of the year and scored twice; freshman Mackenzie Miller had two hits, two stolen bases and scored a run; junior outfielder Rachel Guszick scored two runs; and senior first baseman Hana Gross hit a double and scored a run.
In the second game, Wickwire hit a three-run first-inning homerun and went on to hold the Highlanders hitless, striking out seven Houghton batters. In addition to her three-run blast, she had a bases-loaded walk to finish with four RBIs.
Arguello was 2-for-3 with two runs; freshman third baseman Dana Torchia had a hit and scored three times; and junior Danielle Mastropierro scored twice.
Alfred is in action next on Saturday, April 20, at 1 p.m., at St. John Fisher, as the Saxons play their final Empire 8 Conference doubleheader of the year.