St. John Fisher Stays Alive In NCAAs With Wins over Washington and Western Conn
While their classmates were walking across the stage at commencement ceremonies and celebrating graduation, the seniors on the St. John Fisher College softball team were busy running the bases, mowing down batters and fighting to keep their dream-season alive.
The Cardinals staved off elimination not once, but twice on Saturday, as Fisher knocked out both Western Connecticut State and Washington College in the NCAA Division III Regional Championship, hosted by Ithaca College.
With the two wins, Fisher improves to 35-14 - the second-most wins in the program's history – and is just one of three teams left in the double-elimination tournament . The Cardinals will play Lebanon Valley College at 12 p.m. on Sunday with the winner advancing to play SUNY Cortland – the only undefeated team – at 2 p.m.
Game Two: Fisher 4, Western Connecticut 2 (10 innings)
Pitcher
Sarah Stefanon went the distance for Fisher. The senior didn't allow an earned run over 10 innings, scattering six hits and striking out eight to improve to 24-6 on the year.
Fisher scored two runs in the second inning. The Cardinals used two walked and a fielder's choice to load the bases and
Jessie Smyrski singled up the middle to score
Danielle Leone and
Olivia Fusilli.
The Colonials scored two runs in the third, capitalizing on two Fisher errors, but Stefanon and the Fisher defense put up zeros after that.
In the top of the 10
th inning,
Kayla Goodberlet led the inning off reaching on a fielding error by the second baseman.
Leanne Merchant then walked and
Sarah Fordyce singled to left to score Goodberlet who just beat the throw home. Fusilli then singled to left, scoring pinch runner
Christina Sakran.
The win avenged a 5-3 loss to Western Connecticut in Thursday's opening round game.
Game One: Fisher 4 Washington 1
Led by seniors
Sarah Stefanon and
Sarah Fordyce, the St. John Fisher College softball program eliminated Washington College on Saturday with a 4-1 victory in the NCAA Division III Regional Championship, hosted by Ithaca College. With the win, Fisher is now one of four teams left in the double-elimination tournament and will play Western Connecticut State at 4 p.m. today in another win-or-go-home game. Western Connecticut scored three in the top of the seventh and beat Fisher 5-3 in Thursday's opening round game.
Stefanon went the distance for Fisher, giving up three hits (all of which came in the third inning) and struck out 12 batters, raising her record to 23-6 on the year.
Fordyce hit a three-run homer in the first inning to give the Cardinals the lead for good. With two outs,
Kayla Goodberlet singled through the right side and then stole second.
Leanne Merchant then walked to bring Fordyce to the plate, who smacked her College-record 13
th home run of the season and her second straight three-run homer. She hit a three-run shot in the 13
th inning of yesterday's 6-3 win over The College of New Jersey.
With one out in the third, Washington strung together three singles and scored the game's only run on a hit batter. Stefanon, however, regained her composure and struck out the next two.
Fisher made it 4-1 in the fourth inning. Disbrow led off the inning with a perfectly-placed bunt single and advanced to second on bunt from
Meghan Burns.
Jessie Smyrski then hit a bleeder up the middle to score the runner.