GAME ONE: The St. John Fisher College softball team
cruised past Neumann, 9-1, in its first game of the day.
The Cardinals started off with a scare in the first inning, but were able to hold and leave Neumann with three on base. The second inning went unnoticed, before a third inning that put Fisher on the board.
Samantha Vara recorded the first tally, getting on bag after getting hit by the pitch, and advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from
Megan Zoerb. Freshman hard-hitter
Kayla Goodberlet ripped a double to the fence that brough Vara in. Goodberlet was then hit home on a clutch single up the right side from
Kelly Hausler.
Neumann answered with a run in the bottom of the third, but Fisher dominated the top of the fourth to run from a possible Knight comeback. The Cardinals recorded five runs in the fourth to push the score to a lopsided 7-1.
Fisher continued its show of excellence by holding Neumann scoreless throughout the rest of play, before picking up two more runs in the seventh from
Lauren O’Brien and
Megan Rogers.
Freshman
Danielle Leone pitched six innings to lead the Cardinals, recording three strikeouts and allowing only one run. Leone improved to 3-1 on the season with the win.
Chrissy Capalbo appeared for the seventh inning, recording two strikeouts.
GAME TWO: Fisher's second contest against Alvernia did not fare as well. The Cardinals
battled to a 3-1 loss to the Crusaders.
Alvernia wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead. Fisher responded in the second, with Rogers recording what would be the Cardinals’ only run of the game. Rogers, who got on base on a walk, advanced to second on a single up the middle from
Jenn Vanek, before Vara’s single to center field brought her into home.
Alvernia recorded two more in the fifth to lead to a 3-1 win.
Sarah Stefanon took the loss on the mound for Fisher.
GAME THREE: Fisher returned to form in the third game of the day,
blanking the Siena Heights Saints 9-0.
Capalbo, now 1-0, got the start for Fisher, came out hot with three strikeouts in the first two innings and finished with six on the day.
Fisher got the bats swinging early, with Vara bringing in the Cardinals’ first run in the bottom of the first inning.
Fisher took off running and never looked back in the bottom of the third. The seven-run streak was kicked off by Rogers, who singled up the right side and was eventually hit home on
Carissa Carlson’s RBI. A home run from freshman
Leanne Merchant, her first of the season, brought Carlson in. The Cardinals would run through the entire lineup plus some before the inning was over.
The Saints failed to answer to Fisher’s seven-run inning, leaving Fisher the opportunity to keep advancing. The Cardinals recorded two runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a double from freshman
Sarah Fordyce, who nailed a double out to center field to bring in Goodberlet.
The Cardinals return to its last day of play at the Tucson Invitational tomorrow morning, when they face the Neumann University Knights for the last of a three-game series. That game begins at 9 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. contest against Alvernia.