Second-seeded St. John Fisher College overcame a 6-0 deficit and rallied to score six runs in the final three innings
to beat No. 6 SUNY Farmingdale 8-7 in the early hours of Friday in NCAA Division III Regional action in Auburn.
With the win, Fisher improves to 30-12, marking the first time in the program’s 23-year history the Cardinals have won 30 games. The Cardinals will now face SUNY Cortland at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in a matchup of the only two undefeated teams. Farmingdale (25-16) will play No. 8 Castleton State at 1:15 p.m. on Friday in an elimination game.
Farmingdale out-hit Fisher 14-11, but the Cardinals capitalized on seven errors by the Rams.
Farmingdale scored the game’s first six runs, including five in the third inning.
The Cardinals chipped away at the lead, scoring two runs in the sixth, one in the seventh, three in the eighth and two in the ninth.
Fisher got on the board in the sixth inning with a two-run single from
Teagen Barresi.
The Cardinals made it 7-3 with a double from
Ross Langevin in the seventh.
Fisher’s biggest inning came in the eighth as the Cardinals plated three runs. After a
Jon Gibbs walk,
Leo Fusilli singled. Gibbs scored on an RBI-single from Barresi, making it 7-4. Fusilli made it 7-5 when he scored on an infield-single by
Phil Pettinella.
With runners on first and second, the Cardinals executed a double-steal, and both players advanced an extra base when Farmingdale catcher Frank Scarlato’s throw sailed into left field.
Fisher scored two runs in the ninth inning. Langevin singled and advanced to third when Bostick reached on an error by the second baseman. Gibbs tied the game at 7-7 with a groundout to first. Bostick scored the go-ahead run when Fusilli singled past the first baseman and into right.
Geoff Martone earned his seventh save of the season and the second in as many nights. The senior fanned two batters and left the tying run on third.
Aaron Benton earned the win. The freshman allowed one hit in two innings of action.