Baseball | 5/7/2026 9:56:26 PM
No. 1 seed Russell Sage College (34-5) and No. 3 seed St. John Fisher University (28-10) won their opening games of the double elimination 2026 Empire 8 Baseball Tournament from Central Park “A” Diamond, in Schenectady, NY, hosted by top-seed Russell Sage College on Thursday, May 7. St. John Fisher defeated No. 3 SUNY Brockport (21-20), 3-0, while Russell Sage dispatched No. 4 Utica University (23-16), 14-3 in the nightcap.
Utica began the day by defeating No. 6 seed Keuka University, 12-11 in 12 innings in a wild card game to get into the double elimination portion of the tournament. Keuka finished the season with an 15-20 record.
SUNY Brockport and Utica will meet at 11 a.m. Friday in game three, which will also serve as an elimination game. Russell Sage will meet St. John Fisher in the winner's bracket game four at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The winner of that game will advance to the championship round, which is scheduled to be played on Saturday, May 9. The winning team of game three and losing team from game four will meet in a second elimination game 5 at 6 p.m. Friday
The complete tournament schedule is below, as all double elimination games will be played at Central Park “A” Diamond.
WILDCARD GAME – NO. 4 UTICA 12, NO. 5 KEUKA 11 (12 INNINGS)
Utica advanced on a walk-off single by Alex Renner in the bottom of the 12th inning to rally for a 12-11 win over Keuka College
Keuka College ends its season with a 15-20 record, finishing fifth in the Empire 8 Tournament.
Evan Cuba led the Wolves at the plate with three hits, including a pair of two-run home runs, three runs scored, and five driven in.
Derek Novicki added a pair of hits for the green and gold, including a double, to go with an RBI and three runs scored.
Lance Berger and Matthew Paolucci hit two-run home runs in the fourth inning for Utica, while Micah Fiorello hit a grand slam in the seventh inning.
Utica out-hit Keuka, 19-11. Paolucci was 4-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored.
GAME 1 – NO. 3 ST. JOHN FISHER 3, NO. 2 SUNY BROCKPORT 0
Justin Christensen and
Nathan Benjamin combined to blank the Golden Eagles on five hits while striking out eight, as the Cardinals advance in the tournament field. Fisher improves to 28-10 on the season with the win.
Fisher managed just four hits against Brockport starter Tyler Pohlman, but made the most of their opportunities with six walks drawn throughout the lineup.
Ryan Vanderlip provided the biggest swing of the afternoon, leading off the third inning with a solo home run to left field.
Jacob Penafeather drove in the first run of the game with a bases-loaded groundout in the second inning, and an error on a
Noah Pohrte ground ball allowed
Jackson Frey to score a run.
Brendan Bucello also reached base twice with a bunt single and a walk, while Frey drew a walk and singled to set up the second-inning rally.
On the mound,
Justin Christensen was masterful, working into the late innings while holding Brockport to three hits and zero runs with six strikeouts. Christensen consistently attacked the Brockport lineup — capitalizing by inducing key groundouts and getting big strikeouts.
Nathan Benjamin came on in relief and closed the game out, earning the save, over the final two innings, allowing just two hit while striking out two to preserve the shutout.
Fisher had their best chance to add to the lead in the fourth, loading the bases with one out on a Bucello bunt single, a Penafeather single, and a Pohrte walk, but Cubello lined into an inning-ending double play to strand three runners.
Christensen and Benjamin combined for a complete-game shutout, the first by St. John Fisher pitching in a postseason contest since May 19, 2016, when the Cardinals shut-out Kean in the NCAA Regional.
GAME 2 - NO. 1 RUSSELL SAGE 14, NO. 4 UTICA 3
Top-seed Russell Sage, ranked No. 13 in the D3baseball.com national poll and No. 15 in the NCAA Baseball National Power Index, scored three runs in four different innings to roll to a 14-3 win over Utica.
Evan Grimes was brilliant on the mound for the Gators, allowing just four hits without a walk over seven innings, striking out five three batters to improve to 7-1 on the season. He was also 2-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI.
Nine different Gators had at least one hit, while 10 players crossed home plate at least once and eight had at least a run batted in. Joseph Karpierz scored three times and Collin Casey drove in three runs.Connor Griffin doubled twice and drove in two runs.
2026 Empire 8 Baseball Championship Schedule
May 4 at SUNY Poly; All games from May 7-9 to be hosted by Russell Sage College and played at Central Park "A" in Schenectady, NY)
Monday, May 4 (At Higher Seed – SUNY Poly)
No. 6 Keuka College defeated No. 5 SUNY Poly, 6-3 – BOX SCORE
Thursday, May 7 (at Central Park “A” – Schenectady, NY – host Russell Sage College)
Play-In Game – No. 4 Utica University defeated No. 6 Keuka College, 12-11 (12 Innings – Keuka Eliminated) – BOX SCORE
Game 1 – No. 3 St. John Fisher defeated No. 2 SUNY Brockport, 3-0 – BOX SCORE
Game 2 – No. 1 Russell Sage defeated No. 4 Utica University, 14-3 – BOX SCORE
Friday, May 8 (at Central Park “A” – Schenectady, NY – host Russell Sage College)
Game 3 – No. 4 Utica vs. No. 2 SUNY Brockport – 11 a.m. (elimination game) – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Game 4 – No. 3 St. John Fisher University at No. 1 Russell Sage College – 2:30 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Game 5 – Winning Team of Game 3 vs. Losing Team of Game 4 – 6 p.m. (elimination game) – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Saturday, May 9 (at Central Park “A” – Schenectady, NY – host Russell Sage College)
Game 6 – Winning Team of Game 4 vs. Winning Team of Game 5 – 12 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Game 7 – Winning Team of Game 6 vs. Losing Team of Game 6 (If Necessary) – 3:30 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS