CNBNews

Game One: St. John Fisher 6, Stevens 1

Fisher’s junior pitcher Justin D’Amato tossed a complete game two-hitter and kept the Stevens hitter off balance all game with eight strike outs to just two walks. Stevens scratched one run off the lefty on a suicide squeeze by freshman Nicholas Sieber (Shrewsbury, Mass.) in the bottom of the third for the game’s first run. Fellow freshman Jonathan Toro (Sanford, Fla.) scored on the play after reaching on a double to left field.

Stevens starting pitcher sophomore Gary Boardman (Staten Island, N.Y.) breezed through the first four innings of the contest but ran into trouble in the fifth. After giving up just two hits in the first four frames, Boardman allowed four hits in the fifth, including a two-run single which knocked him out of the game. The third Cardinals run of the frame was scored by Chris Roeder who took off for home on a pick-off throw to first base.

Boardman lasted 4.1 innings and surrendered six hits and three runs. He also struck out five batters and walked one.

Fisher tacked on two more runs in the sixth by way of a lead-off home run from Brad Rush and a double from Shane Barley that plated Ben Bostick. Rush picked up his second RBI of the game on an infield single in the seventh to cap off the scoring in the opener. Sean Osterman scored from third on the base hit.

Sophomore Ryan Mannello (Staten Island, N.Y.) tallied the other hit for the Ducks in Game One.

Game Two: Stevens 6, Fisher 5

The Ducks fell behind early, 5-0, through two innings but fought back to six runs in the final five at bats to win on a walk-off single from junior Dan Allen (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.). Allen also earned the victory in the contest by striking out two batters in the top half of the inning, including the final out with the bases loaded.

In Stevens’ half of the seventh, Toro reached on a walk to lead off and then junior Curt Lowenstein (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) laid down a bunt which resulted in a base hit. Freshman Tyler Bush (Bristol, Conn.) was up next and dropped down a sacrifice bunt but reached first on an errant throw by Fisher’s pitcher. With the bases loaded and no outs, Allen lined the 2-1 offering to center field for the walk-off victory.

Allen batted 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored and game-winning RBI. Sophomore Marc Calleo (Bayville, N.Y.) was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one more driven in. Toro went 2-for-2 with a walk, run scored and RBI.

Fisher jumped out with three runs in its first at bat of the game on a three-run homer by Rush with one out of Stevens seniorTyler Courter (Glenwood, N.J.). The Cardinals tacked on two more in the second inning on a lead-off home run from Barley and an RBI double by Mike Fahy.

Courter labored through four innings and gave up six hits, five runs and five walks in the no decision. He also struck out two.

Stevens pushed one run across in the third inning on an RBI ground out by sophomore Pete Prontnick (Edison, N.J.) to finally begin some momentum against Fisher start Mike Rynerson. Rynerson coasted through the first four innings of his outing with three 1-2-3 innings before the fifth.

The Ducks knocked Rynerson out of the game in the sixth after Allen, Mannello and Calleo all singled. In the frame, Stevens capitalized on a throwing error on the infield hit by Mannello which led to all three runs. Calleo’s RBI base hit sent Rynerson to the bench and was replaced by Jordan Doroshenko, who suffered the loss in the contest.

In the four-game series, Stevens pounded out 33 hits and 23 runs, while Fisher tallied 36 hits and 26 runs.

Stevens will take on No. 19 Ramapo College on April 3 in Mahwah, N.J. at 3:30 p.m. before four doubleheaders against Ithaca College the following weekend.