No. 6 Fisher Falls to No. 21 Ithaca in Extras to Open NCAA Super Regional
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College softball team fell in extra innings on Friday as the Cardinals, who are ranked sixth in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, lost to the No. 21 Ithaca College Bombers, 4-3, in eight innings in the first game of a best-of-three series in the NCAA Division III Softball Super Regional at The Softball Complex. With the defeat, Fisher fell to 34-9 on the season while the Bombers improved to 32-10 overall.
The two teams will meet again at 1 p.m. on Saturday in an elimination game. If Fisher wins, the two teams will play a winner-take-all game with the advancing team moving on to the NCAA Division III Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla. next week.
The Bombers struck quickly in just the top of the first after a bloop single with two outs kept the inning alive for Ithaca's cleanup hitter who drove a shot over the right field fence to stake the visitors to a two-run lead.
The lead remained in Ithaca's hands until the bottom of the third when Fisher came through with a pair of runs on two hits to knot things up at 2-2.
Marissa Kirker got things started after being hit by a pitch before being replaced on the base paths by
Julia Sortisio who reached on a fielder's choice. Senior
Katie Mazierski moved Sortisio into scoring position with a single to center before
Ashley Prince stepped in and cracked a big two-run double to right center that leveled the game up heading to the top of the fourth.
The score would remain tied heading into the late innings as both pitchers swapped zeroes. In the bottom of the sixth, Fisher was poised for a big frame after
Mary Claire Grosvenor led off with a single before Savas replaced her at first and promptly moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from
Emily Trotman. With one away and a runner in scoring position, Fisher was unable to get the run across as the Bombers came up with two big outs to keep the game at two runs apiece.
After a scoreless seventh inning, Ithaca had its leadoff hitter reach and move to second on a sac bunt only to see the next hitter foul out to the first base side. With two outs, the Bombers were able to time up
Lindsey Thayer's pitches and smacked back-to-back RBI-singles to open up a two-run lead, 4-2.
Facing a two-run hole, Fisher still had life as
Sammie Torlish belted a single through the left side before moving to third when Grosvenor reached on an infield error. With two on and one away, Trotman lifted a sac fly to center that plated Torlish and moved Grosvenor into scoring position. Needing a single to keep the game going, Fisher was unable to produce a timely hit as the Bombers held on for the win.
Thayer was saddled with the loss and finished the day at 24-5 in the circle. The senior pitched eight innings and allowed four runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts.
At the plate, the Cardinals collected five base hits led by Prince who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI on the day. Mazierski was 1-for-4 and moved to within two hits of breaking the program record for hits while Torlish and Grosvenor rounded out the offense with one hit each.