CORTLAND, N.Y. – Third-seeded St. John Fisher College edged #4 seed Bridgewater State University, 5-4, in an elimination game at the 2022 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Cortland, New York Regional on Friday morning at Wallace Field.
The Cardinals (31-15) will take on either host SUNY Cortland or Endicott College in another elimination game later this afternoon at 3:30. The Bears end the season with an overall record of 30-15.
Senior righthander Alec Teska (Cato, N.Y.) tossed seven solid innings to earn the win on the mound for St. John Fisher. Teska (7-3) allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and one strikeout. He also hit three batters.
The Cardinals capitalized on a two-out BSU error to push across an unearned run in the top of the third inning to open the scoring.
Bridgewater answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the third. Sophomore shortstop Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) doubled to lead off the frame and scored on sophomore right fielder Jay Wladkowski's (Norwood, Mass.) ground rule double to right-center. Sophomore left fielder Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners and senior designated hitter Jonathan O'Donnell (Hull, Mass.) put the Bears up 2-1 with a sacrifice fly.
St. John Fisher sent ten batters to the plate in a four-run fourth inning. Sophomore third baseman James Murphy (Niskayuna, N.Y.) tied the game with an RBI single and junior second baseman Noah Campanelli (Pittsford, N.Y.) connected for a two-run single to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead. Bridgewater State's third error of the contest accounted for the final run of the inning and ultimately the decisive run of the game.
The score remained 5-2 until the bottom of the eighth when the Bears rallied for a pair of runs to cut the deficit to one. Lindsay doubled to lead off the frame and freshman second baseman Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) reached on an error to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Wladkowski smacked an RBI single through the right side to plate Lindsay and send Emerson to third. A fielder's choice RBI ground out by Frechette made it a 5-4 game.
A leadoff single by junior third baseman Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) followed by a sacrifice bunt put the tying run on second in the ninth. Junior reliever Ryan O'Mara (Rochester, N.Y.), who was in his second inning of work, retired the next two batters with a strikeout and harmless foul out to secure the victory for the Cardinals.
O'Mara gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits over two innings with no walks and a strikeout to record his first save of the season.
Junior righthander Matthew Seavey (North Attleboro, Mass.) was tagged with the loss on the mound for the Bears. Seavey (7-2) allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits over four innings with four walks and five strikeouts. He also hit a batter.
Senior righty David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) was outstanding in relief for the Bears as he shut the Cardinals down over the final five innings. Kerns scattered a pair of hits and fanned six as he gave the Bears a chance to battle back.
Bridgewater banged out nine hits in the contest, including four doubles, and BSU batsmen were also hit by a pitch three times, The Bears, however, grounded into three double plays, flied into a double play on O'Donnell's sacrifice in the third, and had a runner picked off first base.
Wladkowski went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBI to pace the BSU offense. Wladkowski was also hit by a pitch as he reached safely three times. Lindsay doubled twice and scored two runs in three at bats, while Molis (2-4) also notched a pair of hits for the Bears.
Notes: Wladkowski and Emerson tied the program record for most games played in a season with 45...Wladkowski also equaled the single-season mark with 169 at bats...Wladkowski finished the season with 18 doubles (second all-time) and 66 hits (fourth all-time).