Erie Baseball Eliminated At NJCAA Region III Final Four

The SUNY Erie baseball season came to an end Friday as the Kats competed in the NJCAA Region III Division III Final Four in Auburn, New York.

Erie began with a game against rival SUNY Niagara on Thursday, falling 14-6 after the Thunderwolves used a nine-run first inning to take control early.

SUNY Niagara added four more runs in the second inning behind RBI doubles from Dalton Harper and Mike Schaefer.

Despite the deficit, the Kats continued to battle offensively throughout the contest, collecting 10 hits in the game. Sophomore standouts Ryan Boyle, Tyler Pagano, and Elijah Williams each recorded two hits. Williams also drove in two runs in the loss.

Kieran Glassford provided solid relief work for Erie, allowing just one run over 3.1 innings.

Facing elimination in game two on Friday, Erie battled Herkimer College before falling 13-2 in a weather-shortened contest.

The Kats showed patience at the plate by drawing eight walks. Zac Chrystian drove in Erie's lone RBI with a hit, while Williams, Boyle, and Jimmy Buettner each added hits. Adam Scibetta and Justin Refermat scored the two runs for the Kats.

Nicolas Gold took the loss in game two, while Erie pitchers combined to strike out three batters.

Herkimer was led offensively by Adam Weiss and Kanta Miyabe, who each drove in two runs, while Kyle Kristel scored three runs and collected two hits.

The Kats close the 2026 campaign after advancing to the NJCAA Region III Division III Final Four, continuing the program's strong postseason tradition and capping another successful season against some of the top competition in Region III.