Fisher Stays Alive in E8 Play With Program Record In Wins
The St. John Fisher College baseball team defeated Stevens Institute of Technology, 9-6, in an Empire 8 Championship elimination game today at Dugan Yard to keep its season alive. With the win the Cardinals set a school record in wins with 32 to improve to 32-10 on the year, while the Ducks fell to 26-15.
Fisher will face the loser of the Utica/Ithaca game tomorrow at 12 p.m. in another elimination game.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first as Fisher used two walks, two hit by pitches, a fielder's choice and a single to push four runs across.
Cody Wiktorski drew a walk to open the inning and later moved to third on back-to-back wild pitches.
Jack Trotman walked on six pitches as senior
Mike Roman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Wiktorski scored as junior
Nate Roethel was hit by a pitch to put Fisher up 1-0. Senior
Joe Simmons reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second as a throwing error by the second baseman allowed two more runs to score.
Malcolm Kelsey singled home Simmons from second to cap the inning.
Fisher tacked on its fifth run of the game in the bottom of the third to make it a 5-0.
Scott Eisenmenger singled through the left side and two batters later scored on a pass ball.
Stevens got on the board in the top of the sixth as Zeph Walters parked a two-run home run over the right field fence to make it a three run game.
In the bottom of the seventh, Fisher put the game away as it scored three more runs on four hits and an error to make it 8-2.
The Ducks cut the lead in half in the top of the eighth, as Walters drilled his second two-run home run to right, nearly in the identical spot as the first. With two on and two out, reliever Ryan Felske recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
Then the Cardinals tacked on their final run in the bottom of the eighth as Wiktorski placed a solo shot over the left center field fence.
Walters once again came up big in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded, the junior ripped a two-run single down the right field line to score seniors
Jonathan Toro and
Jayson Yano. That would be as close as they would get, as reliever Loukas Brigham retired the next two hitters.
Right fielder Kelsey paced Fisher for the game going 4-for-4 with two RBIs. As a team, tallied 11 hits and four walks.
Fisher starting pitcher
Stephen Lewis threw seven impressive innings scattering six hits, striking out four and allowing two runs. He improves his record to 7-0 on the season.
Nolan Bennett went 2-for-5 while Walters was 3-for-5 with six RBI's for Stevens. Senior
Greg Jakusik tossed five and two thirds innings out of the bullpen, striking out two while surrendering four runs. Bret Viola, along with classmates
Danny McIntyre and
Ryan Patterson combined for five strikeouts in two and a third innings.