The St. John Fisher College baseball team swept Marywood University (PA) in a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon in Vero Beach, FL. With the two victories Fisher moves back to .500 on the season (3-3) and will look to continue the win streak tomorrow against Beloit at 1 p.m.
Fisher surrendered a run in the first inning to Marywood but bounced right back with three runs of its own in the bottom. After Phil Pettinella reached base on a fielding error, Montesano singled to left singled through the right side. Leo Fusilli came up and hit a sacrifice fly scoring Pettinella. Montesano stole second base and then scored on a Jon Gibbs single to right field. Later in the inning Steve Karnyski singled to score Gibbs, putting the Cardinals up 3-1. Fisher never looked back.
In his starting debut for Fisher, freshman Adam Pettinella threw five innings of four-hit ball, only giving up one earned run while fanning six Pacers. Fisher helped Pettinella in the bottom of the third by adding five runs to the lead to make the score 8-2 and the rookie pitcher returned the favor. In the top of the fourth inning, Pettinella took the mound and induced three groundball outs on only four pitches. Again in the fifth, Pettinella needed only seven pitches to secure two groundball outs and a strikeout.
Tim Sylvester came in to relieve Pettinella and threw two innings of hitless ball. Fisher scored another run in the bottom of the sixth for a little more insurance. At the plate Karnyski went 3-for-3 with three RBI while Gibbs, Montesano and Teagen Barresi each finished with two hits.
Barresi had a 3-for-3 performance and drove in two runs in the win. Montesano also came up with a two RBI while Jason Nevada, Bryan MacSwan, Kevin Wing and Matt Klock each hit in a run. Nevada and Wing each had two hits as well.
On the mound, Brandon Lewis got the start and went four solid innings, only giving up four hits and one earned run. In the relief effort Fisher used freshmen Teddy Ruff and Kieran Murphy in their Cardinal-debuts with Cory McAllister, a sophomore, making his season-debut. Between the three pitchers getting their first action of the year, they only allowed two runs on five hits.