Golden Eagles win Empire 8 championship
- Victor Menendez
- 55 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By: Victor Menendez
BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Brockport Golden Eagles baseball can officially write their names in the history books. With a dominant 11-0 win over the Russell Sage Gators on Saturday, the Golden Eagles can call themselves Empire 8 champions.
"We've been on both sides of this thing," Golden Eagles head coach Justin Beach said. "We've been out there, sitting there watching other teams celebrate before. Now we've been on this side of it. Obviously we would rather be on this side of it, but that's what you work for."
Right-hander Zach Eldred got the start for the Golden Eagles. The fifth-year two-way player was tasked with following up what his teammate, Anthony Lapine, did yesterday: A complete game shutout in a 1-0 win.
Follow it up he did. Eldred went seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and one walk while striking out seven. The Golden Eagles pitching staff combined for 18 scoreless innings over the two games they played against Russell Sage. In the three tournament games they played, their pitching staff combined for 27 innings, giving up just one run which wasn't earned.
"I can't say enough about that [pitching] staff," Beach said. "Pitching and defense, that's what was going to win us the tournament and the championship, and it did."
The Golden Eagles struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Freshman James Dixon followed up a single from Kyle Blake with a single of his own to drive Blake in from second and give Brockport a 1-0 lead.
"I've been preparing for this the whole time," Dixon said. "It was nothing new, I was just trying to go out there and get a barrel to get our guy in."
Gators starter Joe DeGroot, despite being on just one day of rest, limited the Brockport offense through five innings. The left-hander got himself into trouble a few times, but always found a way to escape without damage.
That was until the bottom of the sixth inning when first baseman Nick Mahar pulled his hands in on a fastball, hammering it down the right field line and just sneaking it over the right field fence to put the Golden Eagles up 3-0.
"I was just sticking to the approach," Mahar said. "It's been a long April, being sidelined [with an injury]. It just feels so much better to have this opportunity to play. I got one out of the park and I think it set the tone for the rest of the game."
It remained a 3-0 game until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Brockport offense came unglued.
Mahar started the inning by drawing a walk. A few singles and some bad defense from the Gators led to two runs, but at 5-0, the game was still within reach.
That's when Jason Story came to the plate with the bases loaded. On an 0-1 pitch, Story crushed a ball deep to right field for a no-doubt grand slam to put the Golden Eagles up 9-0.
Video credit: @BportAthletics on X.
"Those are the kind of moments you envision, you think about those, you dream about those," Story said. "It's probably the coolest homer I've ever hit. So grateful to do it in that moment."
Two more runs came around to score in the inning, but it was all gravy at that point.
"Our guys were really up all day," Beach said. "They felt the moment and they wanted this so bad. It came together for us in a couple little spots and then 'bang' we get the big hit and Story loses one and it changes the game."
Eric Servellon closed out the final two innings for the Golden Eagles, officially making them Empire 8 champions.
"I knew right away on my visit that I was going to love it here," Story, who transferred from Utica prior to the season, said. "Ever since I got here, every day has been awesome. Just so grateful to be a part of it. I love this team, I love everything about it."
The Golden Eagles season is far from over, however. The NCAA DIII tournament bracket comes out on Monday, where Brockport has already earned an automatic bid into the tournament.
"It's all gravy from here in my opinion," Beach said. "Every game you play now you're going to play a really good team who's coming off a championship just like this and is ready to go. We'll have to play well to beat them, so I'm excited to play that kind of baseball."
The Golden Eagles will find out who they play on Monday. Until then, they're celebrating being Empire 8 champions.
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