Softball | 5/7/2011 3:30:47 PM

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ITHACA, NY - The RIT softball team (24-11) will play for the 2011 Empire 8 Championship after exploding for a season-high 18 hits en route to an 8-4 win over St. John Fisher (27-12-1) in game six of the double-elimination Empire 8 Tournament held at Kostrinsky Field on Saturday afternoon.  All nine starters had a hit for RIT.  The Tigers and Cardinals will meet for the third time this weekend on Sunday at 11 a.m.  The winner of that game will win the Empire 8 Tournament and earn an automatic berth into the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers advanced to their first Empire 8 Championship contest since 2003.  If RIT wins on Sunday, they will make the NCAA Tournament for the first since the 2001 season.  It will also be the fifth meeting of the season between the two squads, with the season series tied 2-2.

RIT jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, as with the bases loaded, Brittany Griffin (Sterling, VA/Park View ) singled through the left side, scoring Michelle Tabisz (Silver Spring, MD/Paint Branch).  Carlissa Cole (Alden, NY/Alden) was thrown out at home on the play as well.

From there, the onslaught began, as the Tigers scored twice in both the fifth and sixth innings, and three times in the seventh to build an 8-1.  Kayla Goodberlet hit a three-run home run for St. John Fisher in the seventh to make it 8-4, but RIT would get the next three outs and earn the win.

RIT led 1-0 in the top of the fifth with runners on first and third when lightning in the area caused a 30 minute delay.  When play resumed, Tabisz and Cole ripped back-to-back run scoring singles to make it 3-0.

In the sixth, RIT ripped five hits and scored two more times to take a 5-1 lead, as Emily Courtney (Berlin, CT/Kingswood-Oxford) and Tabisz hit run-scoring singles.

RIT broke it wide open with three runs on four hits in the seventh, as Griffin singled in a run, then Emmi and Courtney hit consecutive run scoring doubles.

Senior hurler Carlissa Cole (Alden, NY/Alden) started and allowed four hits in three innings, extending her scoreless streak to 24 2/3 innings.  Brittany Kemp (Dansville, NY/Wayland-Cohocton) came on to relieve Cole, who pitched a complete-game two hitter against Ithaca earlier on Saturday in the fourth inning and earned her 10th win of the season, allowing four runs on seven hits, while striking out seven batters.

Tabisz was 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored, while Courtney was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.  McCormick, Cole, Kemp, Griffin, and Emmi all had two hits apiece.  Emmi also scored twice, while Griffin drove in two runs.

Goodberlet was 3-for-4 driving in all four runs for the Cardinals, while Megan Zoerb was 3-for-4, and Jenn Vanek was 2-for-4.  Sarah Stefanon took the loss for St. John Fisher, allowing three runs on nine hits in five innings.

On Friday, RIT, the second seed lost to third-seeded St. John Fisher, 6-3, while fourth-seeded Stevens lost to top-seed Ithaca, 4-3 in 13 innings.  RIT then eliminated Stevens, 10-0, while St. John Fisher defeated Ithaca 2-0.  On Saturday, RIT eliminated the top-seeded Bombers, winning 1-0.