Softball Opens Season With Split in Sunkissed Classic

Recap, photo courtesy of St. John Fisher College

TITUSVILLE, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College softball team split its games on Sunday as the Cardinals, who are receiving votes in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, defeated Ohio Northern before falling to Muskingum in the final game of the afternoon.  With the split, Fisher will take a 1-1 record into the second day of the Sunkissed Classic.

FISHER 3, OHIO NORTHERN 2

After falling behind by a pair of runs in the first inning, the Cardinals leveled things up in the top of the second with two runs on three hits.  Sarah Kubik got the inning going with a walk and moved to second base when Sammie Torlish moved her over with a sacrifice bunt.  Emily Trotman stepped in and boomed an RBI-double before moving to third on a throwing error.  Mary Claire Grosvenor tied the game after the senior catcher followed suit with a run-scoring double of her own before the Polar Bears could escape the inning.

The game remained deadlocked until the top of the sixth when Torlish lifted a leadoff double to center to put a runner in scoring position.  Following two quick outs, the Cardinals went to the bench as Abby Flakus came away with a pinch-hit RBI-single to right that plated the go-ahead run as Fisher took a 3-2 lead into the home half of the inning.

Trotman (1-0) started in the circle for the Cardinals and earned her first win of the season after the sophomore threw a complete game and allowed just two runs on six hits to go along with three strikeouts.
  
MUSKINGUM 5, FISHER 0

In the nightcap, Fisher was unable to generate much at the dish as the Cardinals managed just two hits overall.  Rachel Evans notched her first collegiate base hit in a pinch-hit appearance while Grosvenor went 1-for-2 in the loss.

After falling behind by two runs in the first inning, the Cardinals gave up two more in the fifth.  Trailing by four runs, the team yielded another in the sixth before Muskingum closed out the non-conference win.

Megan Brown (0-1) was tagged with the loss after going 6.0 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits.  Allison Rogowski came on in relief and pitched a perfect seventh inning.