Long Ball Propels Fisher to 14-7 Win Over Worcester in NCAAs
HARWICH, Mass. – The nationally-ranked and third-seeded St. John Fisher College baseball team eliminated Worcester State and moved on in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship's New England Regional with a 14-7 win at Whitehouse Field. The victory moved Fisher to 31-11 on the season and set up a 9:30 a.m. meeting on Saturday with fifth-seeded Babson College, which fell to top-seeded UMass Boston, 4-0.
Fisher, which played as the visiting team, shook off Thursday's shutout as the Cardinals plated a run in the top of the first after
Jack Trotman worked a walk, stole second base and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch to make it a 1-0 game in the Cardinals' favor.
After setting down the Lancers in order in the bottom of the first, Fisher struck again in the top of the second and doubled its lead after
Malcolm Kelsey drove a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to stake the Cardinals to a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals continued to mash in the third inning with two runs on one hit to open up a four-run lead.
Allen Murphy got things started after working a one-out walk before Trotman reached after being hit by a pitch. With two on and one away,
Ryan Fahy stepped in the box and ripped a double to right center that scored a pair to extend Fisher's lead to 4-0 heading into the home half of the third.
Worcester State got on the board in the bottom of the inning in a big way and chased Fisher's starting pitcher,
Dominick Pisciotto, as the Lancers tied the game at four runs apiece after coming away with five singles before
Dillan Wilkinson halted the inning with the score still deadlocked.
In the top of the fourth, Fisher returned the favor and forced the Lancers to make a pitching change after the Cardinals plated three runs on two hits to reclaim the lead.
Evan Ryan led off the inning with a walk and moved into scoring position after
Ryan Prevost was hit by a pitch despite trying to put down a sacrifice bunt.
Justin Graham followed suit with a bunt single of his own to load the bases with no outs.
Thomas Pasquale stepped in and lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the go-ahead RBI before Murphy walked to reload the bases with just one away. After the Lancers went to their pen, Trotman greeted the new pitcher with a double to left that scored both Prevost and Graham to push the Cardinals' advantage to three runs, 7-4.
After escaping a bases loaded jam and allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth, Fisher got one back in the top of the fifth after Ryan led off with a bomb over the left field fence to make it an 8-5 affair.
Fisher struck again in the top of the sixth with four runs on four hits and a Lancers' error to hold a 12-5 lead.
Scott Eisenmenger picked up a one-out single to second and moved into scoring position after Kelsey smacked a single to left center. After a lineout, Prevost dropped down a bunt single to load the bases before Graham came through with a two-run single through the left side of the infield to make it 10-5. As the inning continued, Fisher scored two more runs after an infield error allowed both Prevost and Graham to cross home plate.
Trailing by seven runs, Worcester State scored a single run in the sixth and seventh innings, but Eisenmenger got both back with one swing in the top of the ninth as the junior lined a two-run home run to left to give Fisher the 14-7 win.
Pisciotto started on the mound and went 2.1 innings and allowed four runs on six hits. Wilkinson, who moved to 4-1 with the win, tossed 3.2 innings of relief and surrendered two runs on four hits with a strikeout.
Trevor Rumsey yielded a run in two-thirds of an inning before being lifted in favor of
Loukas Brigham who threw the final 2.1 innings without allowing a run.