Baseball opens E8 play by splitting doubleheader with Sage

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher University baseball team split a doubleheader with Russell Sage College on Tuesday to open Empire 8 play.

GAME 1: SAGE 13, SJF 10 (7 INNINGS)

The Cardinals dropped the opening game in a seven-inning slugfest. Falling behind, 1-0, in the top of the third, they answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-1 lead. The Gators responded by outscoring Fisher 12-1 the next three-and-a-half innings, though, to take a 13-5 lead. 

Fisher wouldn’t go quietly though, scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh, including three on a home run by sophomore Benjamin Huckans. However, the Cardinals ultimately ran out of outs to work with, falling by three.

GAME 2: SJF 10, SAGE 4

Fisher again scored 10 runs but this time held the Gators to just four, taking advantage of 13 hits and five Sage errors to earn their first conference win of the season.

Junior Tanner Frank was excellent on the mound, going 5.1 innings while allowing just three hits, three runs (two earned), and striking out seven. The remaining pitchers (Christian O’Brien, Conner Walker, and Cam Kingsley) allowed just a hit and one earned run the rest of the game.

Offensively, sophomore Jake Crantz was hot out of the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a solo home run in the third, and two RBI. He also stole a base. Senior James Murphy went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and two stolen bases. Senior Nick Lemire had a 3-for-5 night, stole two bases, and notched an RBI. Huckans and Benjamin Norsen also had RBI. 

WHAT’S NEXT

The Cardinals are scheduled to play again on Friday, March 29, at Utica.