SUNY Niagara is one win away from the World Series.
The top-seeded Thunderwolves rolled past No. 3 Herkimer College 10-0 in the second round of the NJCAA Region III double-elimination tournament Friday in Auburn. Matt Barr hurled a two-hitter as SUNY Niagara (48-0) recorded its nation-leading 17th shutout of the season.
Barr gave up a hit to the first batter of the game, but catcher Dalton Harper picked the runner off trying to steal second and the Thunderwolves rolled from there. Barr improved to 9-0 on the season, fanning nine batters, going all six innings in the game.
SUNY Niagara won via mercy rule for the second time to start the tournament and jumped on Herkimer in the first inning. Its first three batters reached base and Nigel Sebastianelli drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice.
The Thunderwolves produced three runs in the second, as Christopher Finocchario delivered an RBI triple, followed by a sacrifice fly by Gasport’s Gavyn Boyle and an RBI double by Harper. They pounced again in the fifth by scoring five runs, including a two-run double by Boyle and three-run blast by Cooper Rossano.
After Barr registered his third perfect inning in four attempts, Rossano ended the game with a single to left field that scored Finocchario. Rossano went 3 for 3 with four RBIs and reached base on all four at-bats, while Boyle went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs.
SUNY Niagara can clinch the championship with a win at noon Saturday and would match a program record for single-season wins with 49 set in 2022. Whichever team advances to the final will have to be the Thunderwolves twice.
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Before the game, Matt Clingersmith was named Region III coach of the year for the eighth time in his career and for the second consecutive season. Clingersmith recorded 40 wins for the fourth year in a row and for the eighth time in his career.
SUNY Niagara also had six players named first-team all-region, with Barr, Boyle, Harper, Aidan Paul, Rossano and Sebastianelli being honored. Mike Schaefer was a third-team selection.
Boyle, a sophomore, is hitting .383 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs. Sebastianelli, another sophomore, is hitting a team-best .492 with 49 RBIs and 20 extra-base hits.
Freshman Rossano is hitting .480 with team-highs in RBIs (60) and hits (72), while also tallying 23 extra-base hits, including seven home runs. Harper is hitting .473 with 38 RBIs, 22 extra-base hits and has tossed out 10 of 14 runners who have attempted to steal.
Paul, a Medina graduate, is 7-0 with a 0.98 ERA in eight appearances, with 58 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. Barr is 9-0 in nine appearances, with a 1.98 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 50 innings.
Schaefer is hitting .443 with 43 RBIs and has stolen 14 bases.