Baseball | 5/10/2026 1:09:02 AM
SCHENECTADY, NY – Nationally-Ranked Russell Sage College came back from a pair of early deficits against St. John Fisher University to earn its first-ever Empire 8 Conference Tournament Championship with a 6-2 victory at Schenectady's Central Park "A" Diamond. on Saturday, May 9.
"It's one of the best feelings in the world when you get to win a championship with your guys," commented sophomore first baseman Darren Dengler (Hobart, NY/South Kortright), who was voted the Tournament Most Valuable Player, following the final out. "This is one of the hardest-working groups I've ever been a part of. They deserve it so much. We're far from finished but I am so incredibly proud of the work and everything these guys have put in."
With having defeated Fisher 8-5 on Friday afternoon, the Gators (36-6, sitting 23rd in the D3Baseball.com and 25th in the American Baseball Coaches Association National Polls, only needed to beat the Cardinals once on Saturday to capture the title.
After first pitch of the potential clincher was pushed back from noon to eventually 4:30 p.m. due to a rainy Saturday morning and early afternoon in New York's Capital Region, the coronation was delayed even further as St. John Fisher (30-12) handed the Gators their first E8 Tournament loss by a score of 3-1.
The Cardinals, looking to extend their spring and set up a winner-take-all second game, put across a run in each of the first two frames. The early support helped senior right-hander Ethan Fulton, pitching for the first time since April 26th, also against RSC, settle in.
The two-time All-E8 Conference selection stymied the high-powered Gator offense, allowing just five hits in the complete game win (4-1). RSC beat the ball into the turf off the righty, with 16 of the 27 outs coming on the ground, including three double plays.
After the Cardinals increased their advantage to 3-0 on a sixth-inning solo homer by senior first baseman Jack Griffin, RSC got on the board in the seventh.
Senior pitcher/outfielder Evan Grimes (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) led off with a double, coming around to score on a pair of fly outs.
The Gators were able to get the leadoff man on in both the eighth and ninth. However, they were both erased on double plays.
Senior pitcher Xavier Garcia (San Diego, CA/Saratoga Springs/SUNY Adirondack) was on the short end of the pitchers' duel (Loss, 7-1). The lefty scattered nine hits and allowed just two earned runs across eight innings of work. He fanned six Cardinals and going eight innings helped RSC Head Coach Matt Marsh have as many pitching options as possible for the now necessary nightcap.
The winner-take-all contest would have the Gators again starting from behind, as SJFU put across a run in the top of the first.
RSC knotted things in the third inning. Dengler led off with a single. He stole second then came around to score on an RBI single by freshman outfielder Nick Irizarry (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield).
Down 2-1 after a solo Cardinal long ball, the Gators got back to even in the fifth. Dengler and Irizarry would again factor into the score. Dengler singled to start the frame and stole second. Following a strikeout and a walk to get back to the top of the RSC lineup, Irizarry laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up 90 feet. Dengler would then cross home on a wild pitch.
RSC took its first lead of the day in the sixth. With two outs, junior designated hitter Jayden Kennedy (East Patchogue, NY/Patchogue Medford/HVCC) blooped a single down the right field line to score senior second baseman Anthony Rizzo (Latham, NY/Shaker/HVCC).
The Gators added three runs in the seventh.
Dengler, the Tournament MVP, got the rally started with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a sacrifice bunt moved the first baseman to third, he scored on a fielder's choice
off to bat of sophomore third baseman Nick Chicaway (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes).
With two down, senior shortstop Joseph Karpierz (Latham, NY/Shaker/Xavier) singled home a pair to close the scoring.
Grimes came in from center to pitch the final two frames, with the final four of the six outs coming by way of the K.
Junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Murray (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia/HVCC) tossed the first six innings to get the win (6-1). He kept the Caredinals in check, allowing just five hits and both of their runs.
Senior Greg Mays (Troy, NY/Tamarac/SUNY Cortland) served as the bridge to get to Grimes from Murray, hurling a scoreless seventh.
Dengler was voted the Tournament MVP. He went 6-for-12 with five runs scored, three RBI and two stolen bases across the four games.
The Gators have automatically qualified for the NCAA Tournament and will learn their opponents and pod location on Monday at noon.
Gator Bites with Papa John's: Russell Sage College Baseball, in its fifth season as a program, has won the second Empire 8 Conference Tournament Championship in Athletic Department history...RSC Women's Soccer won the first E8 crown at RSC in the spring of 2021...The Gators, in their first season under the direction of Head Coach Matt Marsh, have set the program single-season wins record…As the Empire 8 Conference regular season Champions, the Gators earned the top seed and hosting privileges for the 2026 E8 Championship Tournament…RSC, which went 21-1 in E8 play this spring, was also the Empire 8 Conference regular season champs and Tournament's top seed in 2024…Russell Sage has now made the Finals of the E8 Tournament in three of the past four years…The Gators are nationally-ranked in both of the May 5th editions of the American Baseball Coaches Association and D3Baseball.com National Polls…RSC sits 23rd in the D3Baseball.com rankings…It marks the first time that Gators were nationally-ranked by the organization…The ABCA moved RSC up three spots to number 25.