Baseball | 4/26/2024 9:18:41 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – Russell Sage College baseball picked up its program best tenth Empire 8 conference win this afternoon at St. John Fisher. The victory gives the Gators the best winning percentage in the Empire 8.
The Gators (17-13/10-2 E8) put up seven runs in the eighth inning to secure the 9-7 win. Eleven straight Gator batters reached base in the victory clinching frame.
RBI Singles by junior outfielder Jared Russell (Colonie, NY/Colonie), junior outfielder Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), outfielder James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber), a grad student, and junior infielder Nick Marsella (New Hyde Park, NY/New Hyde Park Memorial) each hit RBI singles in the dominant frame. Russell and Marsella each brought home a pair with their knocks.
Espinal, Russell, and junior infielder Zachary Figueras (Apopka, FL/Windermere) all registered two singles in the victory. Junior outfielder Evan Grimes (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and junior infielder Jeff Stearnes (Vergennes, VT/Vergennes Union) each added a single to the hit column.
Gators arms combined to punchout six Cardinals, four from starter pitcher Joe Degroot (Clay, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), a grad student, in six innings of work. Junior Isaac Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) got the win with a scoreless frame, and Matthew Denatale (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck), a grad student, registered the save with his two scoreless halves to conclude the victory.
St. John Fisher University (17-17/12-3 E8) nearly put the game away before the Gators' huge inning by way of a grand slam off the bat of Jackson Frey. Brian Norsen and Nick Lemire each had two hits and a RBI in the loss.
Looking ahead, RSC kicks off a weekend Empire 8 series at Keuka on Saturday with a doubleheader.
Gator Bites: Now its third season as a program, RSC looks to continue to climb the Empire 8 Conference ladder in 2024…The Gators, which returned all 10 starters, were the runner-up in the 2023 E8 Championship Tournament…Outfielder James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber), a grad student, and junior pitcher Liam Doyle (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot) headline the returnees…Lubanski was named third-team All-Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association, while Doyle, a righty, topped RSC in innings pitched and ERA last spring…Junior outfielder Brendan Espinal (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) was selected the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, March 10…He slashed .559/.941/.595 during the team's Florida trip…Espinal totaled 12 runs scored, 10 RBI, 32 bases, and six doubles across the nine games. Junior outfielder Jared Russell (Colonie, NY/Colonie) set the single season and career standard in stolen bases in 2024 while Lubanski broke both the single season and career standards in runs batted in.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.
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