PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Top-seeded and NFCA #8 Saint John Fisher College scored three runs in the first inning and did not look back as the Cardinals defeated third-seeded Manhattanville College, 8-3, in game three of the Rochester, New York Regional of the NCAA Div. III Softball Championships, held at the SJFC Softball Field on Saturday.
 
With the win, St. John Fisher (38-6) advances to the regional championship and will need to win only one of a possible two games tomorrow to claim the regional crown. Manhattanville (31-14) falls into the loser's bracket and will face the loser of Saturday's first elimination game between third-seeded William Paterson University and fourth-seeded Penn State Behrend in another elimination game beginning at approximately 4 p.m. today.
 
The Valiants finished with 10 hits on the day, led by seniors Brittany Deieso (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) and Alicia Marino (Mahopac, N.Y./Pleasantville) and sophomore Aarin Hartenstein (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) with two hits apiece. Deieso, Hartenstein, and sophomores Sophia Chapelone (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and Evonne Torres (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Pioneer) all had hits for Manhattanville against the nation's top pitcher, Cardinals hurler Lindsay Thayer, who struck out 13 in five innings to improve to 24-5 on the year.
 
One of Marino's hits was a homer in the seventh inning, in the process breaking the school single-season home-run record with her 15th long ball of the season. She also tied Michele Ribeiro '07 for second-place all-time with 31 career homers, sitting just one back of Jessica Van Galen '13 for first in school history.
 
Playing as the visiting team, St. John Fisher put three runs on the board in the top of the first to put Manhattanville in an early hole. Julia Sortisio led off with the Cardinals' only hit of the inning, followed by two walks and error to score the opening run. An RBI groundout by Karlie Neale and another Valiant error brought the final two runs home.
 
The Cardinals added one more in the second after Hartenstein came on in relief of junior Alycia Feeney (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster), then tacked on another in the fourth thanks to a Kristina Balsano solo homer.
 
The Valiants got runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth innings against Thayer, but came one hit short of getting a run home. Manhattanville also loaded the bases in the sixth inning against reliever Monica Moses, and finally got on the board thanks to a two-run, two-out single from junior Laurel Coito (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic).
 
Feeney (18-6) suffered the loss for Manhattanville, allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits and three walks in 1.1 innings. Hartenstein pitched well in relief for the Valiants, allowing three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts over 4.2 innings, while freshman Steph Muller (Port Jervis, N.Y./Port Jervis) allowed one run on one hit with a strikeout in the final frame.