Fisher Wins Rochester Regional to Advance in NCAAs
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College softball team won the NCAA Division III Softball Regional Championship on Sunday behind 15 strikeouts from junior pitcher
Lindsey Thayer as the No. 8 Cardinals defeated Manhattanville College, 2-1, at the Softball Complex. With the victory, Fisher, which has now won a Regional title in back-to-back seasons, moved to 38-6 overall and advanced to next weekend's Super Regional where it will face SUNY Cortland, which won its Region with an 7-2 decision over Widener University.
Thayer (26-5) was dominant in the circle as the Winthrop native allowed just one run over seven innings along with three hits. For her efforts, she was named the Regional's Most Outstanding Player after going 3-0 with 44 strikeouts in 19 total innings.
Katie Mazierski,
Julia Sortisio and
Ashley Prince were named to the All-Tournament Team after combining for 12 hits and six RBI between them.
The Cardinals took the lead early after plating a run in the top of the first inning on two hits and a Valiants' error. Mazierski got things started with a one-out single to left field before Prince reached on an infield misplay. With two on and just one out,
Sarah Kubik blasted a single up the middle that drove in Mazierski to make it a 1-0 game in Fisher's favor.
The score remained a one-run affair until the top of the seventh when the Cardinals cashed in on two hits and another Manhattanville error to make it a 2-0 contest. After
Emma Savas reached on a fielder's choice,
Kristina Balsano set Fisher up with a single to left while both runners moved up a bag on an errant throw to put runners at second and third with just one out. Sortisio stepped in the box and ripped an RBI-single to the shortstop that allowed Savas to scurry home to put Fisher up 2-0. As the inning continued, Fisher loaded the bases, but the Valiants induced an important groundout to second to end the threat heading to the bottom of the seventh.
In the final half inning of play, Manhattanville led off with a double that eventually came around to score to pull the Valiants to within one run, but that was as close as they would come as Thayer struck out the final batter to preserve the 2-1 win.
Fisher managed just five hits in the win, but showed patience at the plate and drew four walks. Kubik led the team with two hits while Sortisio, Mazierski and Balsano each had one hit apiece.