ITHACA, N.Y. – St. John Fisher (27-11-1) scored a single run in the fourth and fifth innings in a 2-0 win over Ithaca (27-11) in an Empire 8 Softball Tournament winner's bracket game Friday night at Kostrinsky Field. St. John Fisher advances to the championship round Saturday at 1 p.m. Ithaca will face RIT in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Saturday.

St. John Fisher took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Leanne Merchant, who lined a shot up the middle that Ithaca pitcher Britt Lillie (Honeoye Falls-Lima/Mendon) deflected. That scored Carissa Carlson from third, who started the inning with an infield single and moved to third on a hit by Sarah Fordyce.

A two-out single to centerfield in the bottom of the fifth accounted for Fisher's insurance run. Jamie Harmon came through with the single and Jenn Vanek scored from second base.

Carianne D'Alessandro (Bridgewater-Raritan/Bound Brook, N.J.) had two hits for the Bombers.

Sarah Stefanon (12-3) pitched the complete game win for the Cardinals. She allowed four hits, walked three and had four strikeouts. Lillie (9-4) took the loss for Ithaca and gave up seven hits, all singles.

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