SUNY Niagara wins doubleheader at Erie CC Tuesday, stays unbeaten in Region III West
*** PHOTO COURTESY OF GEOFF SCHNEIDER (GMSPHOTOWNY) ***
SUNY Niagara remained unbeaten at the top of the NJCAA Region III West standings following its two wins at Erie Community College Tuesday in Williamsville. These games were previously scheduled for April 16, but were rescheduled due to inclement weather.
The Thunderwolves won the first game, 14-2, in five innings, and the second game, 15-7, in seven innings. SUNY Niagara has now won eight in a row against Erie since a 6-0 win in Game Two of the doubleheader on May 6, 2024 in Williamsville.
After six weeks ranked third, SUNY Niagara moved up to second in the latest NJCAA Div. III national rankings, which were released Tuesday. The Thunderwolves are 37-3 overall, 17-0 in the Region III West standings, and have won their last 11 contests.
SUNY Niagara is 27-0 when it scores at least 10 runs in a contest this season and is now 390-76 (.837) overall since 2017. The Thunderwolves are next scheduled for a two-game road trip at Genesee Community College at 1 p.m. Saturday in Batavia, and at Onondaga Community College at 1 p.m. Sunday in Syracuse.
Game One: SUNY Niagara 14, Erie Community College 2, Final, 5 Innings
A pair of two-run home runs --- one from Dalton Harper and one from Cameron Gruarin --- helped SUNY Niagara jump out to a 4-0 lead after the first. The Thunderwolves then added one run in the fifth after a one-run single by Cooper Rossano (5-0 SUNY Niagara).
SUNY Niagara added three more runs in the third, including a two-run single by Mike Schaefer and a run scored on a Kats error. In the top of the fourth, Cameron Gruarin hit a two-run home run, extending the Thunderwolves' lead to 10-0.
In the fifth, Mike Schaefer had a one-run single, and Alexander Graham had a three-run home run, giving the visitors a 14-2 lead.
Gruarin finished 2-for-4 with four runs driven in and scored twice himself. Schaefer also had two hits, drove in three runs, and scored three times.
Graham drove in three runs off his home run and scored twice. Harper drove in two runs on one hit and scored twice.
Allen had two hits and scored a run, and Rossano drove in one run and had one hit. Luke Gigliotti had a hit and scored twice, Jacob Hudson had a hit and scored once, and Cooper Prizel scored once.
In the win, Mike Munzert moved to 5-0 this season (6-0 in career) on the mound. The Albany commit allowed two runs on six hits, threw three walks, and recorded a new career-high eight strikeouts on 93 pitches (59 strikes).
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 15, Erie Community College 7, Final, 7 Innings
The Thunderwolves and Kats exchanged four runs in the second. Luke Gigliotti had a one-run single, and Jacob Hudson had a three-run home run in the frame.
Evan Kohr had a two-run single, and Mike Schaefer had a one-run single in the third (7-4 SUNY Niagara). Cameron Gruarin then recorded a one-run double in the fourth (8-4 SUNY Niagara).
Erie cut the deficit to 8-6 in the bottom of the fourth, but SUNY Niagara added two runs in the top of the fifth (10-6 SUNY Niagara). Schaefer brought Hudson home on a sacrifice fly-out, and Cooper Rossano's sacrifice groundout sent Kohr home.
Kohr drove in his third run of the game on a one-run single, and Schaefer recorded his second sacrifice fly of the game in the sixth (12-6 SUNY Niagara). The Thunderwolves later scored in the seventh as Alexander Graham had a one-run single and Derrick Allen and Giglioitti each had a sacrifice fly-out (15-6 SUNY Niagara).
Kohr and Gruarin both went 3-for-4 at the plate. Kohr drove in three runs and scored twice, and Gruarin delivered one run and scored three times.
Gigliotti (2 RBI) and Rossano (1 RBI) had two hits each. Gigliotti crossed home three times, and Rossano went around the bases twice.
Schaefer and Hudson had one hit and drove in three runs apiece. Hudson also scored twice himself in the win.
Graham and Derrick Allen (two runs scored) each had a hit and drove in one run. Harper went 1-for-4.
Brady Case recorded the win in 1.1 innings of relief and allowed one run on a hit, along with two strikeouts and two walks on 38 pitches (19 strikes).
Ashton Putney threw three innings and allowed two runs on three hits, plus three strikeouts and one walk on 39 pitches (25 strikes).
Liam Hadfield threw the seventh on only 12 pitches (seven strikes) and posted one strikeout and one walk. Tyler Vogel was the starter and allowed four runs on four hits plus one walk in 1.2 innings (42 pitches, 23 strikes).