PITTSFORD, NY— In the seventh inning of the second game, David Wessells roped a base hit into right field, passing Tage Johnson to become the new all-time career hit leader in Houghton Highlander baseball history.  The Highlanders, however, would relinquish a late three-run lead to the St. John Fisher Cardinals, dropping both ends of a doubleheader, 5-1 and 6-3.
           
GAME VITALS                           
Game 1 Score: Houghton – 1 | St. John Fisher – 5
Game 2 Score: Houghton – 3 | St. John Fisher – 6
Records: Houghton: 10-7 (2-4 Empire 8) | St. John Fisher: 15-4 (6-0 Empire 8)
Venue: Dugan Yard, St. John Fisher College | Attendance: 47/78
 
Game 1: The Cardinals flexed some offensive muscle with a pair of homeruns by Justin Graham and Adam Zebrowski, coupled with an outstanding outing by southpaw Anthony Brophy to drop the Highlanders, 5-1.
 
After Noah Campanelli led off the game with a hit-by-pitch, Graham deposited a long homerun to right to put the Cardinals up by two.  Those runs would be all the support Brophy would need, going all seven innings while surrendering only four hits and one walk and striking out seven.
 
The Cardinals added a run in the second before Zebrowski hit his eighth homerun of the season just right of dead-centerfield in the third to open up a 4-0 lead.
 
Houghton picked up a run in the fourth after Joe Gross led off with a double to left-center and Jason Kauffeldt ripped a single to center. 
 
Highlander starter, Ryan Newtown, settled in after the third, allowing only three additional baserunners the remainder of the game, but Fisher would tack on an insurance run in the fifth following a hit-by-pitch and a double to centerfield by James Ward.
 
 
Game 2:  Jeremey Wilcox stymied the St. John Fisher offense for the first six innings, as Houghton opened up a three-run lead.  But the wheels came off the tracks in the bottom of the seventh when the Cardinals took advantage of two walks, two hit-by-pitch, and three hits and a costly Houghton error to plate five runs and take the lead.
 
The Highlanders took the lead in the fourth when Gross again led off with a double to left-center and Kauffeldt followed with an RBI single.  Zach Parr then walked and Davis McMillan moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt.  Fisher starter, Alec Teska, pitched out of the jam, striking out the next two batters.
 
Houghton scored again in the fifth when Gross ripped a two-out RBI single to center to score Chris VanCheri.
 
In the top of the seventh, Whitney Cook drew a two-out walk and Wessells followed with his record-breaking hit.  Cook took third and Wessells advanced to second on the throw.  A balk by the Fisher reliever pushed Cook home, putting Houghton up, 3-0.
 
After the Cardinals five-run seventh, they would add an insurance run in the eighth to take a three-run lead. 
 
Houghton would challenge to the end, loading the bases in the ninth, but the Cardinals closed the door to pick up their 15^th win of the season.
 
 
KEY STATS:
>> Wessells finished with three hits on the day, all in the second game.  He now has 164 career hits in 131 career games.  He also holds the Houghton career records for walks (83) and runs scored (116).
 
>> Joe Gross picked up three hits on the day for the Highlanders, including two doubles, and RBI and two runs scored.
 
COACH'S CORNER:
"We knew coming into these games that we would have play near-perfect baseball to beat St. John Fisher, and we were close to doing that.  However, small mistakes in key situations will cost you against good teams, and they certainly cost us today.
 
"For the most part, I was pleased with the outings we received from Ryan [Newtown] and Jeremey [Wilcox].  They both continue to get better as our season progresses.  Jeremey just ran out of steam at the end.
 
"We had a few clutch hits; we just didn't have enough of them
 
"Give credit to St. John Fisher.  They pitched, they hit and they played excellent defense.  They made big plays, and had clutch hits when they needed them.  That's a very good baseball team.
 
"We relish the challenge and look forward to playing them again on Monday." –Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Cardinals and Highlanders return to action on Monday at 2:00 p.m., finishing their four-game series at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex with another doubleheader.