The St. John Fisher baseball team split a doubleheader with the RIT Tigers April 14 at Fisher’s Dugan Yard. The two-game set was supposed to be followed up with another doubleheader on April 15, but more inclement weather postponed games for Fisher for the third time this season. The games will be made up on a date to be announced.

“Up here, you always have an opportunity to complain about the weather,” Cardinals manager Dan Pepicelli said. “It’s our job to not let it dictate how we play. You have to refuse to make it an issue.”

Fisher dropped the first game of the set 3-1 as top starter Ryan Hanson suffered his second loss of the season. The loss came just five days after he recorded the first no-hitter in Fisher baseball history. Hanson pitched seven hitless innings in a 3-0 win over Keuka College on April 9.

Hanson pitched five innings versus RIT, surrendering only four hits and one run but left the game down 1-0 entering the sixth inning. Fisher’s bullpen allowed two more runs in the game’s final two innings which was enough for RIT starter Dylan Rees.

Rees pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on seven hits. He relied on his defense for most of his outs, as he only struck out two batters. His infield turned three key double plays, including one in the sixth inning that killed a St. John Fisher rally.

Senior Chris Botsford’s one out double to left field scored senior Jeff Fetzner to bring the Cardinals within one run. Junior Chad King followed with a single, sending Botsford to third base, and the Cardinals seemed to be primed for a rally. However pinch hitter Bryan Matt’s ground ball failed to find a gap in the defense, and was turned for a double play; RIT’s third and final inning-ending execution of the day.

Fisher managed just a walk in the bottom of the final inning as Rees earned the complete game win.

Game two was a classic pitcher’s duel between Fisher’s King and RIT’s trio of pitchers, Chris Miller, Paul Schoeneck and Chad Hendy. King surrendered no earned runs and three hits in a complete game effort. He struck out six batters, and drove in what ended up being the winning run in the first inning with a fielder’s choice groundout.

The inning began with a one-out single by Fetzner, who was driven in immediately by Marc Montesano as he tripled; driving in Fisher’s first run of the game.

After Botsford worked a walk, King’s grounder to second scored Montesano for a 2-0 lead. The Tiger pitching staff was able to keep the game close after that however, shutting down the Cardinal bats for the last five frames of the game. Nevertheless, those runs would be all King would need for Fisher to salvage a split with the Tigers.

In the second inning, the Tigers looked to get something going offensively. Catcher Ryan Tryt doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third base on a wild pitch, but the two plays were sandwiched between non-productive at bats. A pop out, and two strikeouts by King, ended the inning with no damage done.

Those kinds of at-bats haunted RIT in the fourth inning as well, as King was able to force a double play with two runners on and only one out to get out of another jam.

The Tigers broke through with their lone run in the third inning, as an error allowed shortstop Dan Christner to reach second base. He was driven in after two ground outs.

Fisher would have liked to take the momentum of the win into Sunday’s two games scheduled at home against the Tigers, but rain showers and cold weather postponed the games.

Fisher will go on the road to play SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Brockport next week, before returning home for a seven game home stand beginning with SUNY Brockport on April 25.