Softball | 4/2/2011 2:23:25 PM

Click here for game one stats

Click here for game two stats

PITTSFORD, NY - The RIT softball team (7-6, 1-1 Empire 8) split its inaugural Empire 8 contests of the 2011 season, losing game one of a doubleheader, 4-1 to St. John Fisher (12-4, 1-1 Empire 8) then exploding for an 11-4 win in game two on Saturday.

In game two, Fisher took a 1-0 lead before RIT repsonded with two runs in the top of the second inning, as Emily Courtney (Berlin, CT/Kingswood-Oxford) doubled and scored on a single by Carlissa Cole (Alden, NY/Alden).  Arielle Link (Weston, CT/Weston) drove in Cole with a single of her own.

Fisher scored once in the third and twice in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.  The Tigers would respond with their biggest inning of the season, scoring eight times on eight singles, sending 13 batters to the plate in the sixth to take a commanding 10-4 lead.

Brittany Kemp (Dansville, NY/Wayland-Cohocton) delivered the big blow, plating two runs on a single to give RIT its lead back for good.  Tori Nadow (Charlton, MA/Shepherd Hill) had two hits in the inning, driving in one run.  Nine straight batters reached base for the Tigers.

Cole was 3-for-4 with a triple, three RBIs, and two runs scored.  Courtney scored three times and added two hits.  Link and Kemp drove in a pair of runs each.  Nadow was 2-for-4 with a run scored and run batted in.

Kemp picked up the win for RIT, allowing five hits and striking out five batters in the complete-game effort.

In game one, the Cardinals scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning to break open a scorless tie.  The big hit was a two-run single by Jamie Harmon.  Danielle Leone was strong on the mound for the Cardinals, allowing six hits, striking out one and walking none.

RIT scored its lone run on a solo home run by Michelle Tabisz (Silver Spring, MD/Paint Branch) in the sixth inning.  RIT had a golden chance to take an early lead, with runners on first and third with no outs, but were unable to plate the run.

Courtney was 2-for-3 with a double, while Nadow was also 2-for-3 

Cole allowed 10 hits and three earned runs, while striking out three batters in six innings.

The Tigers have now scored in double digits four times this season, and have scored at least five runs nine times.

The Tigers return to action on Wednesday, as they travel to Buffalo State to play the Bengals in a pair of non-conference games that get underway at 3 p.m.