Cardinals and Saxons Take 2
ST. JOHN FISHER v Keuka
After nearly two weeks off due to weather, the St. John Fisher College softball team returned to action on Wednesday as the Cardinals swept the visiting Keuka College storm, 6-2 and 8-1. The Cardinals are now 10-4 on the year, while Keuka slips to 1-5.
Game One
In the opening game of the doubleheader, both teams exchanged zeroes until Fisher was able to break the scoreless tie in the home-half of the third inning.
Kate Disbrow reached on an error and promptly stole second base. After two quick outs,
Lauren Owens stepped to the plate and lined a single, scoring Disbrow from second in the process. Fisher would tack on another run in the inning when
Jessica D'Angelo boomed an RBI double down the right field line to score Owens.
The lead would be short-lived, however, as the Storm would tie the game in the fourth at two runs apiece after blasting a two-run homer that cleared the right field fence.
The Cardinals would add to their lead in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four more runs on three hits with the big blow coming off the bat of
Meghan Burns as the junior launched a two-run double to regain the lead, which Fisher would not relinquish.
Halie Schoff held Keuka scoreless over the next three innings to pick up her fifth win of the season. The Lee Center native pitched seven innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out eight.
Game 2
In the nightcap, Fisher found itself trailing 1-0 after an error allowed Keuka to plate a run, but the Cardinals would recover in the third inning. After a lead-off single by Disbrow,
Jennifer Knaak singled through the left side of the infield, plating Disbrow. Two batters later, D'Angelo belted a two-run home run to give Fisher a 3-1 lead.
The Cardinals would pour it on in the fourth inning when
Megan Keib ripped a double before
Jessie Smyrski knocked her in with an RBI single to right field. After a fly out, Burns stepped to the plate and smashed a towering two-run shot to put Fisher up 6-1. Fisher wasn't done there as Knaak collected her second single of the game and would score Fisher's seventh run after a Keuka error.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fisher would score its eighth and final run on a moon shot from
Samantha Poules – her first home run of the season.
ALFRED v RIT
The Alfred University softball team rallied from an early five-run deficit to defeat RIT, 12-7, and complete a sweep of the non-league doubleheader with the visiting Tigers. In the opener, The Saxons won 8-0 in five innings, as junior pitcher
Alison Wickwire struck out 12 Tigers to tie an AU single-game record.
In the second game, RIT (1-9) scored three runs in the top of the second, and after AU trimmed the lead to a run by scoring twice in the bottom of the frame, the visitors plated five in the third to take a 7-2 lead.
The Saxons (14-4) scored twice in the third before exploding for seven in the fourth to take an 11-7 advantage. AU would add an insurance run in the sixth to close out the scoring. AU sophomore pitcher
Katelyn Jakobsen tossed 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win and improve to 5-0 on the year. She allowed just one hit and struck out five while walking none.
Sophomore second baseman
Dana Torchia went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two driven in. Her two-run double in the fourth gave AU an 8-7 lead. Wickwire was 3-for-4 with a run scored, driving in four runs with an RBI single, two-run double and solo homerun.
Sophomore shortstop
Nicole Maher scored twice; freshman third baseman
Liz Thompson was 2-for-3 with a triple and scored twice; and senior outfielder
Rachel Guszick had two hits and scored a run.
Freshman pitcher
Sophia Chiavatti started and allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits while striking out three in two innings. Wickwire came in and allowed three runs (one earned) on a pair of hits in one-third of an inning.
Wickwire got the win in the opener, tossing five innings of three-hit shutout ball while whiffing 12. The 12 strikeouts tie the school record set by three other former Saxons, the most recent being Chelsey Cary in 2010. Wickwire helped herself at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a run scored and driving in three with a two-run homer and run-scoring single.
Maher (RBI double) was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two driven in; Torchia hit a double and scored a run; senior outfielder
Samijo Scheer was 2-for-2, scored twice and drove in a run; and Chiavatti belted a run-scoring single.