KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Baseball team split an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader with Russell Sage College on a chilly Sunday afternoon at Kuhl Field.

Keuka College (8-9-1, 2-3-1 Empire 8) won the first game 7-6 in extra innings. The Wolves then fell to the Gators 9-4 in game two.

Keuka College 7 vs. Russell Sage College 6 – 8 innings

The Wolves wasted no time taking the lead in game one. Nick Brown (Liverpool, N.Y. / Liverpool) walked for Keuka. He would then score from first on a double by Ryan Seales (Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Springs). Seales would later score on an RBI single by RJ Murphy (Syracuse, N.Y. / West Genesee) as the Wolves took the 2-0 lead.

Keuka College tacked on a run in the second, but the Gators responded with runs in the third and fifth to cut the lead to one, 3-2.

Russell Sage would then add on two runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead 4-2, but Keuka responded in the bottom of the inning. With one out, the Wolves worked a pair of walks and had a batter hit by the pitch to load the bases. Jimmy Griffin (Syracuse, N.Y. / East Syracuse-Minoa) singled to left to score a pair of runs as Keuka regained the lead. Matt Vaccaro (Fayetteville, N.Y. / Fayetteville-Manlius) followed with an identical opposite-field single to left to add an insurance run as Keuka took a 6-4 lead into the seventh.

The leadoff batter got on for the Gators but was quickly erased on a 6-4-3 double play. However, three straight walks with two outs and a single by Russell Sage tied the game at 6-6. Brady Booher (Rochester, N.Y. / Eastridge) hit a two-out double for the Wolves but would be stranded at third base as the game went to extra innings.

Aaron Simons (Rome, N.Y. / Rome Free Academy) pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth and took the first pitch he saw to the right centerfield fence for a double. Jimmy Griffin was next up and his sacrifice bunt turned into a single. A fielder's choice following in which the Wolves reached base and no out was recorded, loading the bases. Nick Brown came up for the Wolves and singled up the middle to score the game-winning run as Keuka walked it off 7-6 in eight innings.

Lead Wolf: Jimmy Griffin was one of four players for Keuka College with a pair of hits in game one. The senior drove in a game-high three runs for the Green and Gold.

Russell Sage College 9 at Keuka College 4

Keuka College once again struck first against the Gators. The Green and Gold had three straight singles in the second by Devyn Scheidt (Brockport, N.Y. / Brockport), Donald Nemeth (Guilderland, N.Y. / Guilderland), and Jimmy Griffin. The final hit by Griffin scored Scheidt as the Wolves took a 1-0 lead.

Russell Sage quickly responded with a run in the top of the third to tie the game. The Gators then took advantage of a couple of Keuka miscues in the fourth. The visitors plated four in the inning to lead 5-1.

Keuka College looked to respond quickly as Donald Nemeth led off the bottom of the inning. The freshman nearly missed a home run and settled for a leadoff double. The Wolves would use a pair of walks to load the bases with no outs. However, Russell Sage was able to work out of the inning without surrendering a run as the Gators remained ahead 5-1.

The Gators added four more runs to take control of the game in the top of the sixth. The Wolves pulled three back in the bottom of the inning. Nick Brown had a sacrifice fly for Keuka. Ryan Seales then followed with a two-run double to cut the lead to 9-4. That would be as close as the Wolves would make as Russell Sage won game two 9-4.

Lead Wolf: Donald Nemeth had a pair of hits for the Wolves in game two. The freshman had a single and a double in the nightcap.

KC Notes:

• Sunday was the first-ever game between Keuka College and Russell Sage College. The Gators are the 93rd different opponent Keuka College has faced in 26 seasons
• Nick Brown, Matt Vaccaro, and Brady Booher joined Griffin with a multi-hit game in game one
• Kole Schmerder (Vestal, N.Y. / Vestal) got the win in game one throwing a scoreless inning of relief. The game was started by Jared Beckley (Windsor, N.Y. / Windsor). The sophomore pitched 5.2 innings while allowing only one earned run and struck out three
• The walk-off win for the Wolves in game one snapped a four-game winless run in extra innings
• In game two, Shane Daley (Elma, N.Y. / Iroquois) had a sacrifice bunt for the fourth straight game played. The freshman now has the single-season record at Keuka and is tied for eighth on the career list
• Ryan Seales has now hit a double in three straight games.
• Zach Ciprich (Walworth, N.Y. / Ruben A. Cirillo) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Wolves in game two

Up Next for Keuka College: The two teams will become well acquainted with each other. As Russell Sage boards their bus to head back home, Keuka College will be right behind. The Wolves and the Gators will conclude their Empire 8 series on Monday with a pair of games at Russell Sage College.