ROCHESTER, NY — The RIT baseball team (7-6, 3-1 Liberty League) dropped a tight home opener against St. John Fisher (12-6, 4-0 Empire 8) by the score of 7-6 in 10 innings at Tiger Stadium Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Tigers out-hit the Cardinals 15-11 and led the game 6-5 after seven innings. The Cardinals scored the game-tying run in the eighth, and ultimately won the game with a score in the 10th.
 
"Today was still another great game against a great opponent," said RIT head coach Rob Grow. "I really like the way the team is playing offensively, defensively, and pitching. I think we're in very good shape going into a big conference weekend."
 
For the Tigers, Will Gorman (Nassau, NY/Columbia) and Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) reached base four times apiece. Gorman led the way with three hits, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk, while Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) led all hitters with four hits, to go with one RBI. Benjamin Terzini (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) also had two RBIs, and Navada Waterman (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport) added one. Brett Kajganich (North Royalton, OH/Holy Name) and Daniel Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) both registered a pair of hits, and Waterman, Terzini, Mike Myers (Hamlin, NY/Brockport), and Jason Schulz (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) had a hit apiece.
 
The Tigers used a pitcher by committee approach, using five different hurlers in the game. Jameson Moran (Geneseo, NY/Geneseo) made the start, going a full two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Tom Dillon (Oswego, NY/Oswego) and Brett Bouchard (Fairport, NY/Fairport) also saw action during the middle innings, before Kyle Povlock (Fairport, NY/Fairport) took the mound. Povlock pitched four innings allowing just one run on three hits, to go with four strikeouts. Connor Ewing (Fairport, NY/Fairport) came in and finished out the game, going for two innings, giving up a run on two hits, with a pair of strikeouts.
 
For St. John Fisher, Frank Carnevale led the offense with three hits, two RBIs, and a run. Ryan Fahy had two hits, two RBIs, and two runs, including the game-tying home run in the top of the eighth inning. Three other Cardinals had RBIs, and four more had hits.
 
Jason Wasilnak started the game on the mound for the Cardinals and allowed five runs on seven hits in three innings, with six strikeouts. Dillan Wilkinson and Kyle Chambers shut the door in the final 4 2/3 innings, allowing just five hits combined and zero runs.
 
The Tigers scored first, as Zeglen hit an infield single, sending Gorman home and making it 1-0 in the opening inning. However, the Cardinals would score two runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the game. RIT, though, came back with two of their own in the bottom half, on a two-run single by Terzini, making it 3-2.
 
St. John Fisher would then flip the score, as the Cardinals put up three more in the top of the fourth, but RIT struck back again with two runs in the bottom half, tying it at 5.
 
A deep-hit double by Gorman in the bottom of the sixth scored Waterman, and gave the Tigers a 6-5 lead. Fahy hit a solo home run down the right field line, tying the game in the eighth. Fahy would then come up big again for the Cardinals, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field, giving his squad a 7-6 lead in the 10th.
 
RIT would open the bottom of the 10th with a base hit by Daniel Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem), but the Tigers were unable to tie the game.

It was the second meeting in six days between the two schools, as RIT rallied from a 6-0 deficit to defeat the Cardinals on the road, 9-6 on March 30. Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) hit a grand slam home run in the ninth inning and drove in five runs.

RIT will return to action this weekend for a four-game Liberty League series with Vassar College (5-9, 0-2 Liberty League). The Tigers and Brewers will play doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday. All four games will take place at Tiger Stadium. Saturday's action will begin at 1 p.m., and Sunday's games will start at 12 p.m.