Fisher Wins Thriller; Stevens Falls to Nationally Ranked Rowan
St. John Fisher 7, Widener 5
The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College baseball team overcame six errors to extend its winning streak to 11 games with a 7-5 victory over the Widener University Pride on Sunday afternoon.
Fisher jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second when
Joe Simmons notched a 2-RBI double down the left field line to score sophomores
Mike Roman and
Cam Allen.
After Fisher added another run in the fourth, Widener battled back to score three in the fifth inning. Widener would tally four straight hits together, and the Cardinals would commit three errors that allowed the Pride to tie the game, 3-3.
The Cardinals would reclaim the lead after Allen hit a triple down the left field line to score Roman, who led the sixth inning off with a single.
Cody Wiktorski would follow with a groundball to the shortstop, but Allen would be called out at home on a play at the plate. After
Mike Fahy singled and
Chris Roeder walked, the bases were loaded for
Nick Flemister, who grounded out to end the Cardinals threat.
The seesaw battle would continue through the bottom half of the inning as the Pride would tie it quickly after three straight hitters reached base, and with help from the fifth Fisher error, a SAC fly would give Widener its first lead of the game, 5-4.
With Fisher still trailing 5-4 in the eighth inning and down to its final four outs, senior
Brad Rush delivered a two-out, bases-clearing double to score three runs. Wiktorski and Simmons led the inning off with back-to-back singles before Fahy would reach on a fielder's choice. After Roeder walked to load the bases, the stage was set for Rush's two-out, 3-RBI double that proved to be the game-winning RBI.
Wiktorski led the offense, going 4-for-5 with a run scored. Fahy also picked up three hits and scored a run, while Simmons and Rush combined to go 4-for-9 with five RBI.
Rynerson battled through six innings of work, allowing eight hits, five runs (three earned), and striking out two. Junior
Josh Amann picked up his second win of the season, throwing two scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits, no runs, and a strikeout.
Ryan Smith would throw the ninth inning to record his career-high second save of the season, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Rowan 3, Stevens 0
The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team was blanked by No. 10/17 Rowan University, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon in Glassboro, N.J.
The Ducks' offense was held off balance all afternoon by Profs hurler Ryan Sharkey, who gave up just four hits over eight innings with four strikeouts and a walk.
Sophomore
Jayson Yano earned the starting nod on the mound for Stevens and suffered the loss in 5.1 innings pitched. Yano fanned six batters and walked three with two earned runs and allowed seven hits. Offensively, the two-way player picked up two of the Ducks' four hits with a double.
Through 12 games this season, Yano has recorded at least one hit in 10 contests and reached base in 11.
Senior
Curt Lowenstein and junior
Brian Hennelly accounted for Stevens' other two hits. Lowenstein also stole a base.
Junior
Matt Buccheri threw 1.2 innings in relief and recorded one strike out, while sophomore
Ryan Patterson tossed the final inning and gave up one run on two hits.
Stevens had an opportunity to score in the second inning after Yano led off with a double and reached third on a wild pitch but was stranded there. In the next inning, Lowenstein made his way to third base after a single, stolen base and error, but could not score. The Ducks put two runners on in the sixth for their final chance to plate a run.
Rowan scored a run in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings.