WORLD SERIES BOUND!!!
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – For the second-straight year, the St. John Fisher College softball team will make its way back to the NCAA Division III World Series as the team downed SUNY Cortland, 4-2, in eight innings at the Rochester Super Regional on Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, the Cardinals, who are now 41-6 on the season, will now head to Oklahoma City, Okla. where they will square off against seven other teams in a double-elimination tournament with the winner to be crowned National Champion.
A tightly-wound contest, Fisher and Cortland found themselves locked in a 2-2 draw after a regulation seven innings of play. Fisher, being the visiting team, had first ups in the eighth. With one out,
Emma Savas singled through the right side to give some life to the Cardinal bats. That was all the motivation
Kristina Balsano needed as she took the batter's box for what would be her last time ever at Fisher Softball Complex. The senior just needed a single pitch to mash one clear over the right field fence, emptying the bases and giving Fisher the lead. The two runs would hold as game-winners as Fisher closed out the bottom of the frame to earn the victory.
The Red Dragons started the scoring on the day, tallying one on a solo home run in the bottom of the second.
Fisher answered right back though as in the top of the third the Cardinal and Gold plated one of its own.
Ashley Prince opened up the frame with a single and was immediately moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Sarah Kubik. With two outs,
Genevieve Paeglow sent a hard line drive to left center, allowing Prince to make it home from second.
Cortland stayed determine after that, putting up another run in the bottom of the third. Fisher, once again, answered the call though. Balsano,
Julia Sortisio and
Katie Mazierski all made it on in the first three at-bats of the fourth, loading the bases. Next at the dish was Prince, who reached on a fielder's choice as Cortland forced Balsano out at home. Kubik made sure to get the tying run in just moments later though she singled through the right side to bring home Sortisio.
Lindsey Thayer had another successful outing manning the rubber for the Cardinals. The junior struck out 11 while just allowing three hits (1 ER) en route to her 28
th win of the 2017 season.
Fisher will now await the conclusions of the other Super Regional Rounds to see who it will be playing in Oklahoma City.