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SUNY Niagara takes first two games of series with Erie CC Friday, resumes clash Tuesday
Posted: Apr 18, 2026

SUNY Niagara takes first two games of series with Erie CC Friday, resumes clash Tuesday

*** PHOTO COURTESY OF GEOFF SCHNEIDER (GMSPHOTOWNY) ***

 

SUNY Niagara posted a pair of wins against rival Erie Community College on Friday at Sal Maglie Stadium. The Thunderwolves and Kats were first and third, respectively, in the NJCAA Region III West standings entering the doubleheader.

The blue-and-gold won the first game, 10-3, in seven innings, and 12-2 in six innings. SUNY Niagara has now won six in a row against Erie, dating back to a 6-0 win in Game Two of a doubleheader on May 6, 2024 in Williamsville. 

Ranked third in the NJCAA Div. III national rankings for a sixth consecutive week on Tuesday, SUNY Niagara is 35-3 overall and remains at the top of the Region III West standings at 15-0. The Thunderwolves are now 25-0 this season when they score at least 10 runs in a contest.

Now 388-76 (.834) overall since 2017, SUNY Niagara is 44-1 at Sal Maglie Stadium since the program made the historic venue its new home field in 2024. The Thunderwolves have won 37 straight at “The Sal” since a 4-0 loss to Erie Community College on April 15, 2024.

SUNY Niagara continues its NJCAA Region III slate and WNYAC action with the back half of its four-game series against Erie at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Williamsville. The Thunderwolves will then host Onondaga Community College at 2 p.m. Thursday at Sal Maglie Stadium, their penultimate homestand of the regular season. 

 

Game One: SUNY Niagara 10, Erie Community College 3, Final, 7 Innings

A lead-off single from Evan Kohr turned into a 4-0 start for the Thunderwolves in the bottom of the first. Mike Schaefer had a one-run double, Dalton Harper had a two-run home run and Derrick Allen a sacrifice groundout in the sequence. 

The Kats scored one run apiece in the top of the second and third innings, cutting the deficit in half (4-2 SUNY Niagara). The Thunderwolves then responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth as Schaefer brought home Luke Gigliotti and Jacob Hudson on a two-run single and Harper recorded a sacrifice fly (7-2 SUNY Niagara).

SUNY Niagara’s scoring resumed in the bottom of the sixth. Harper had a one-run double, Cooper Prizel had a one-run single, and Rossano scored on an Erie infield error (10-2 SUNY Niagara).

Schaefer had a team-high three hits in four at-bats, drove in three runs, and scored twice. Including his start in Game Two Friday, Schaefer has recorded 91 career RBI in 86 career games, which is the sixth most in the Matt Clingersmith (since 2007).

Harper went 2-for-3, drove in four runs and recorded his team-leading 10th home run of the season. Harper now has 13 home runs in his career and passed 2010 graduate Matt Milliman (12) for the third-most home runs in the Clingersmith era.

Evan Kohr scored two runs, and Cooper Rossano, Jacob Hudson (two hits), and Luke Gigliotti all scored once. Derrick Allen and Cooper Prizel each drove in a run. 

Sophomore and George Mason commit Keegan Bazinet threw all seven innings on the mound and moved to 7-0 on the season in his 10th career start. Bazinet allowed three runs on five hits, struck out four, and walked four on 99 pitches (60 strikes).


Game Two: SUNY Niagara 12, Erie Community College 2, Final, 6 Innings 

 

SUNY Niagara erased a 2-0 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the first. Cooper Rossano recorded a one-run single, Cooper Prizel added a two-run double, and Jacob Hudson had a one-run single (4-2 SUNY Niagara).

In the second, Harper hit a one-run single, bringing home Evan Kohr (5-2, SUNY Niagara). SUNY Niagara then scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth, with one-run singles for both Rossano and Cooper Prizel during the sequence. 

The Thunderwolves then reached the 10-run advantage and finished the game in the bottom of the sixth. During Jacob Hudson’s at-bat, Rossano scored on a wild pitch, and Cam Gruarin scored on an infield error. 

Jonah Moscato provided the 12th and final run, sending Hudson home on a one-run single to center. 

Prizel recorded a team-high three runs on two hits and scored once. Rossano went 3-for-4 at the plate, scored twice, and drove in his 22nd and 23rd runs of the season (89 in 74 career games).

Kohr recorded two hits — his 13th multi-hit of the season — and scored three times. Jacob Hudson and Jonah Moscato drove in one run apiece, and Cam Gruarin and Luke Gigliotti both crossed home plate once.

Freshman Derrick Allen improved to 7-0 on the season. The Rochester resident logged six innings, allowed two runs on five hits, recorded eight strikeouts, and walked four on 93 pitches (57 strikes).