Pittsford, NY – Russell Sage College's baseball team opened play on Thursday afternoon in the 2023 Empire 8 Championship. Top seeded St. John Fisher University (28-12) collected the 8-3 win. RSC moves to 16-24 on the year and will play on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. in game #3 against the loser of the #2 Utica/#3 Houghton match-up in an elimination game.

SJFU extends their win streak to 14 games, despite the Gators late-game hits and runs and stranding nine base runners.

St. John Fisher 8-3 RSC

The Cardinals tacked on four runs in the bottom of the third inning after they knocked RSC's starting pitcher, graduate player Matthew Denatale (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) from the game. Denatale gave up three earned runs off of four walks with no hits and two strikeouts in his 2.0+ innings of work. He drops to 4-4 on the year.

RSC's senior designated hitter James Lubanski (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber) added a double and was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk for the Gators. Lubanksi continues to lead the Gators as he now has a single-season 16 doubles to go with his 31 runs scored with 73 total bases. 

Sophomore right fielder Jared Russell (Colonie, NY/Colonie) was 2-for-4 at the plate with was walk, while sophomore third baseman Christian Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a sacrifice fly.

Senior Will Simkin (Canberra, Australia) came in the game in relief of Denatale and gave up just two hits with three earned runs, three walks, a wild pitch and a hit batter.  Sophomore Jaylen Cuevas (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep) and sophomore Michael Karpinski (Ballston Spa, NY/Saratoga Springs) each worked two innings for RSC. Cuevas, who leads the team with 18 appearances, gave up one earned run off three hits, while Karpinski allowed no earned runs off two hits with three strikeouts.

SJFU's junior pitcher Patrick McGuire (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) collected the win after 8.0 innings of work with one earned run off of five hits. He struck out four as he improves to 8-0 this spring.

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