Thunderwolves find winning ways, go 16-2 at RussMatt Invitational
*** PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARSON HARPER ***
SUNY Niagara completed its 18-game slate in 11 days at the RussMatt Invitational on March 6 - 17 in Florida. The contests were played at diamonds in Auburndale and Winter Haven, Fla.
The Thunderwolves, who were ranked third in the NJCAA Div. III rankings on March 16, went 16-2 during the RussMatt Invitational, and are now 18-2 this season. SUNY Niagara is 371-75 (92-24 at RussMatt) over the last 10 seasons (since 2016-17).
Riding a seven-game winning streak, SUNY Niagara continues its season, weather permitting, with a home-and-home four-game series with Tompkins Cortland CC March 21 in Cortland and March 22 at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls. The doubleheader sessions on both dates will start at 1 p.m.
Friday, March 6
Game One: SUNY Niagara 10, Minnesota North College-Vermilion 0, F/6
Liam Hadfield allowed only four hits and retired nine in five innings of work, and Joe Czaja recorded three strikeouts to complete the six-inning shutout. Mike Schaefer drove in a team-high four runs, and Dalton Harper brought home two.
Evan Kohr and Luke Gigliotti had a RBI each, Cooper Rossano crossed home plate a team-high three times, and Cam Gravelle and Joe Panzarella had two stolen bases each. The Thunderwolves scored 10 runs on 13 hits and posted two runs in each of the first three innings for an early 6-0 lead.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 11, Minnesota North College-Vermilion 1, F/6
SUNY Niagara trailed 1-0 after the first, but scored 11 unanswered on 11 hits, including six in the sixth, and swept the series. Matt Kasprowicz allowed one run on five hits, recorded seven strikeouts, and walked two over 83 pitches in five innings before Tyler Vogel retired two in 14 pitches of relief.
Joe Panzarella drove in three runs, and Luke Rybczynski and Dalton Harper drove in two each. Cam Gravelle brought in a run, and veterans Mike Schaefer and Cooper Rossano recorded one RBI and two runs to their stat-lines.
Saturday, March 7
Game One: SUNY Niagara 10, Alexandria Technical & Community College 2, F/7
The Thunderwolves scored three runs in the third and five in the fifth for a 10-1 lead through five innings. SUNY Niagara finished the game with 10 runs on 13 hits.
Keegan Bazinet recorded the start and allowed only three hits along with eight strikeouts and two walks in six innings (93 pitches). Cooper Polcovich then allowed one run on two hits and recorded a strikeout in the seventh.
Cooper Rossano went 3-for-5 at the plate and drove in a team-high three runs. Mike Schaefer went a perfect 3-for-3 and joined Cam Gravelle (two runs) as Thunderwolves who recorded two RBI in the win. Dalton Harper and Luke Gigliotti drove in a run each.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 4, Alexandria Technical & Community College 1, F/7
Cooper Prizel brought home Joe Panzarella on what would be the eventual RBI double in the fourth for the 2-1 lead, just one of five Thunderwolves hits in the game. Prizel also scored a run for SUNY Niagara, as did Cam Gravelle and Luke Gigliotti.
Cooper Rossano, Mike Schaefer and Dalton Harper recorded an RBI each in the win. Derrick Allen went the distance on the mound and allowed four hits with one unearned run and retired eight.
Sunday March 8
Game One: SUNY Niagara 10, SUNY Adirondack 0, F/5
The Thunderwolves scored 10 runs on eight hits and had a 7-0 lead after the second inning. Penn State commit Dalton Harper went 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles and drove in three runs and scored another three himself.
Joe Panzarella drove in three runs and Cooper Rossano brought home two and scored another two. Mike Schaefer posted another RBI to his name on the trip, as did Cam Gravelle, who scored two runs. Sam Carder and Cameron Gruarin crossed home plate one time each.
Bryce Mashanic allowed three hits and retired four through four innings (43 pitches). Austin Barton then threw a one-hitter in the fifth and recorded two strikeouts.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 11, SUNY Adirondack 0, F/7
SUNY Niagara jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and had an 8-0 lead through the fifth. The Thunderwolves finished with 11 runs on 15 hits.
In the start, Luke Liedka allowed one hit and recorded seven strikeouts plus one walk in four innings (61 pitches). Andrew Kelly struck out four of the six SUNY Adirondack batters he faced in his two innings of work (23 pitches), and Charlie Chubak recorded three consecutive strikeouts in the seventh to finish the game.
Joe Panzarella went 2-for-3, drove in three runs, and scored twice. Cam Gravelle went 4-for-4 and drove in two runs. Derrick Allen, Luke Rybczynski, Christopher Snusz, Sam Carder, and Cameron Gruarin all posted an RBI apiece in the win.
Tuesday March 10
Game One: SUNY Niagara 6, Northland Community & Technical College 1, F/7
SUNY Niagara had a 3-1 lead through four innings and added three more in the sixth for the win. Cam Gravelle drove in two runs on his lone hit of the game.
Dalton Harper, Luke Rybczynski, and Cameron Gruarin drove in one run apiece, and Joe Panzarella scored a team-high two runs. Mike Munzert allowed one hit and an unearned run and struck out four, plus three walks in six innings of work (76 pitches). Tyler Vogel then threw three strikeouts and two walks and allowed one hit in the seventh.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 12, Northland Community & Technical College 7, F/7
After a 2-2 tie in the first and a 4-3 deficit after the third, SUNY Niagara’s bats came to life and scored four runs in the fourth and fifth innings and recorded the win. The Thunderwolves scored 12 runs on 16 hits, and six players recorded at least two hits.
Mike Schaefer went 3-for-5, including two doubles, and drove in a team-high four runs. Evan Kohr and Luke Rybczynski brought in two runs apiece, and Cooper Rossano (three runs scored), Joe Panzarella, and Jonah Moscato delivered one run each.
Jackson Sheehy started the game and allowed three runs (two earned) along with two hits, three strikeouts, and three walks (55 pitches). Brady Case was credited with the win for SUNY Niagara and allowed two runs on two hits and struck out three in 2.1 innings (40 pitches).
Cooper Polcovich then retired four and allowed only two hits in the fifth and sixth before Tristan McEnroe recorded two strikeouts, and three walks, and two unearned runs in the seventh (34 pitches).
Wednesday March 11
Game One: SUNY Niagara 8, St. Cloud Technical & Community College 2, F/7
Ashton Putney recorded the win and allowed only one earned run (two runs total) and four hits, and punched six strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. The former Fredonia High School star posted 69 pitches before Cameron Gruarin recorded the final five outs in one-hit action with a strikeout on 21 pitches.
Cam Gravelle went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in three runs and scored twice himself. Cooper Rossano. Mike Schaefer and Derrick Allen drove in one run each while Luke Rybczynski and Cooper Prizel crossed home plate twice.
Game Two: St. Cloud Technical & Community College 3, SUNY Niagara 2, F/7
With the game tied at 2-2, the Cyclones scored on a walk-off walk in the seventh against reliever Andrew Kelly, who allowed one hit and walked three on 15 pitches. Liam Hadfield started the game and allowed two runs on two hits plus seven strikeouts and four walks in six innings (101 pitches).
SUNY Niagara scored both its runs off a passed ball in the first (Cooper Rossano) and a wild pitch in the second (Evan Kohr). The Thunderwolves recorded only six hits in the contest.
Thursday March 12
Game One: Alexandria Technical & Community College 8, SUNY Niagara 5, F/9
The Thunderwolves had a 5-3 lead midway through the fifth but allowed two in the bottom half of the frame, plus three in the seventh for the loss. This came after SUNY Niagara led 3-1 after the third.
Dalton Harper went 2-for-4 with a home run in the third inning and scored a run himself. Cam Gravelle, Cooper Rossano, Cooper Prizel and Luke Gigliotti drove in a run. Derrick Allen scored a run.
Matt Kasprowicz allowed four runs (five total) on 10 hits and had three strikeouts in 4.1 innings (77 pitches). Joe Czaja retired four but recorded five walks and two runs and allowed three runs in 2.1 innings (55 pitches) before Charlie Chubak threw 12 pitches in 1.1 innings of work.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 12, Team Ontario Black 0, F/5
The Thunderwolves scored eight runs in the fifth and had 12 on nine hits to split the day. Mike Schaefer and Sam Carder drove in three runs each.
Dalton Harper and Alexander Graham delivered two runs each and Cameron Gruarin added an RBI to his season. Schaefer and Derrick Allen scored twice each.
Nolan Bigras threw four innings of no-hit action and retired six plus two walks on 68 pitches. Austin Barton then retired a strikeout and only needed five pitches in the fifth for SUNY Niagara’s mercy rule win.
Saturday March 14
Game One: SUNY Niagara 7, Northern Essex CC 2, F/7
In a 1-1 contest, SUNY Niagara scored five in the bottom of the third and took a 6-1 lead and didn’t look back. Joe Panzarella drove in a team-high two runs and Cooper Rossano scored a team-high three runs.
Mike Schaefer, Alexander Graham and Sam Carder drove in a run each. Graham, Panzarella, Cam Gravelle and Evan Kohr crossed home plate once.
Keegan Bazinet went the distance and allowed two runs on six hits and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts on 103 pitches. Bazinet’s previous single-game high in strikeouts was 12 in SUNY Niagara’s 7-1 win versus Century College on March 12, 2025.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 5, Northern Essex CC 0, F/7
Cam Gravelle drove in three of the Thunderwolves’ five runs to lead offensively. Cooper Rossano also drove in a run in the win.
Luke Gigliotti scored two runs while Dalton Harper, Evan Kohr and Sam Carder scored once. Derrick Allen threw a two-hitter on only 90 pitches and retired 12 plus two walks.
Sunday March 15
Game One: SUNY Niagara 9, Century College 3, F/7
The Thunderwolves scored three in the first and second innings and built a 6-1 lead. The blue-and-gold then added one in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Cooper Rossano drove in a team-high three runs and went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored twice. Mike Schaefer drove in two runs and scored twice and Luke Gigliotti scored a pair.
Cam Gravelle, Dalton Harper, Alexander Graham and Cameron Gruarin delivered a run each. In the start, Mike Munzert allowed two runs on three hits, retired seven and walked two in 5.1 innings pitched (83 pitches). Cooper Polcoivch recorded the final five outs, including three strikeouts on 21 pitches.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 12, Century College 1, F/5
The Thunderwolves scored 12 runs on 15 hits and had a 7-1 lead after three innings.
Tyler Vogel recorded the start and allowed one run on four hits, plus had two strikeouts in four innings (50 pitches). Matthew Allen then retired the side with three strikeouts on 15 pitches in the fifth.
Jonah Moscato, Dalton Harper, Cooper Prizel and Luke Gigliotti drove in two runs each. Cam Gravelle, Mike Schaefer, Cameron Gruarin and Iain Farber drove in one run.
Schaefer and Gigliotti crossed home plate three times. Harper and Gruarin did so twice.
Tuesday March 17
Game One: SUNY Niagara 25, County College of Morris 3, F/5
The Thunderwolves trailed 3-0 going into the bottom of the second before their bats woke up and scored 25 unanswered for the win. SUNY Niagara posted 14 runs alone in the bottom of the second.
Cam Gravelle drove in three runs and scored a team-high four times in the win. Derrick Allen also brought home three runs and Dylan Bankoski was one of six Thunderwolves who delivered two runs.
Mike Schaefer, Dalton Harper, Joe Panzarella, Cooper Prizel and Jonah Moscato also recorded two RBI to their stat lines. Like Gravelle, Alexander Graham crossed home plate four times and Evan Kohr did so thrice.
Ashton Putney allowed three runs on two hits along with three strikeouts and two walks in three innings (61 pitches). Phillip Dotterweich then allowed one hit and one walk and recorded three strikeouts in the final two innings.
Game Two: SUNY Niagara 16, County College of Morris 4, F/6
The Thunderwolves scored 16 runs on only nine hits and had a 9-2 lead through the first three innings.
Sam Carder drove in a team-high four runs and added another three runs. Jacob Hudson and Christopher Snuz delivered two runs each, and Luke Rybczynski, Iain Farber, Jonah Moscato and Dylan Bankoski did so once apiece. Cameron Gruarin also scored three runs.
Liam Hadfield allowed one hit and struck out four through the first two innings (37 pitches). Jackon Sheehy recorded two strikeouts along with one walk and two unearned runs in one inning (31 pitches).
Andrew Kelly allowed one run on one hit and walked two in his one inning of action (21 pitches). Patrick Beyer then threw the final two innings and struck out three, walked another three and allowed an unearned run on 43 pitches.
