By Ryan Manno
Saturday’s college baseball action showcased how quickly games can turn around due to timely execution, especially early in the season. St. John’s battled a ranked opponent deep into the game but couldn’t break through offensively, Stony Brook endured a painful walk-off loss after a ninth inning rally, Fordham rebounded from a lopsided opener to earn a doubleheader split, and Hofstra struggled to contain Liberty’s offense in a shortened contest.
St. John’s Red Storm shut out at No. 22 Kentucky
St. John’s continued its series against a ranked opponent Saturday afternoon, falling 3-0 to Kentucky Wildcats at Kentucky Proud Park in a game defined by missed opportunities on offense and strong pitching.
The Red Storm consistently applied pressure, putting runners on base in all but one inning, but were unable to deliver the timely hit needed to change the scoreboard. Evan Chaffee anchored the effort on the mound, putting up 6.2 strong innings while allowing just one earned run on six hits and striking out four. Victor Frederick followed with 1.1 innings of hitless relief, keeping St. John’s within striking distance late.
At the plate, Dylan Fitzsimmons set the tone with a 3-for-4 performance, collecting three singles. Adam Agresti doubled, reached base twice, and was moved into scoring position multiple times, while Shaun McMillan and Ayden Frey each contributed singles.
St. John’s best scoring chance came in the third inning, when the Red Storm loaded the bases with two outs, but Kentucky escaped without damage. Another opportunity followed in the fourth after Agresti doubled and advanced to third. Again the Wildcats worked out of trouble.
Kentucky broke through in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. Two St. John’s errors in the seventh inning were costly and allowed Kentucky to extend the margin to three runs. The Red Storm placed runners on third base in both the seventh and ninth innings but could not convert.
St. John’s will look to salvage the series finale tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
Stony Brook Seawolves fall on walk-off homer at FIU
ILDY CALLED GAME! WALK IT OFF 😱 pic.twitter.com/QhUTII4V30
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) February 28, 2026
In one of the most dramatic games of the day, Stony Brook saw a ninth inning comeback erased in the final moments, falling 10-9 to FIU Panthers on a walk-off three run long ball.
The Seawolves struck first in the opening inning as Johnny Pilla drew a two out walk before Chanz Doughty launched a two-run home run to left field, giving Stony Brook an early lead. Starter Hunter Colagrande surrendered a run in each of the first two innings but quickly settled in, retiring six of the next seven batters to keep the game tied heading into the middle frames.
Stony Brook reclaimed the lead in the fifth inning, loading the bases and drawing multiple walks to move ahead 4-2. After handing the game over to the bullpen, the Seawolves saw FIU respond in the sixth, with a timely three-run frame to take the lead.
The Seawolves continued to battle, cutting the deficit and entering the ninth inning trailing 7-5. In the top of the ninth, Stony Brook assembled a four run rally, led by Nick Zampieron’s two RBI single that propelled the Seawolves ahead 9-7.
FIU answered immediately in the bottom half, however, ending the game with a three run walk off home run to secure the victory.
Stony Brook will look to regroup and take the series tomorrow, with first pitch set for noon.
Fordham Rams split doubleheader with Stetson
Fordham experienced two very different outcomes Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with Stetson Hatters – dropping the opener before rallying for a dramatic win in the nightcap.
In the first game, Fordham fell behind early as Stetson scored in each of the first three innings. The Hatters broke the game open in the fifth with a grand slam, swinging momentum firmly in their favor. Stetson continued to add on, scoring three runs in the sixth and two more from home runs in the eighth.
Fordham showed resilience late by getting on the board with a solo home run in the sixth and adding runs in both the seventh and ninth innings, including a two RBI single in the final inning. Despite the late push, the Rams were unable to overcome the early deficit, falling 13-7.
The nightcap featured a much tighter contest. Fordham jumped out to an early lead and regained momentum in the fifth inning with a two RBI single to take a 4-2 lead. Stetson answered in the bottom half with four runs to move back in front.
Fordham capitalized in the eighth inning, taking advantage of two throwing errors to score three unearned runs and flip the score. The Rams held on to secure the 7-6 victory, improving to 2-7 on the season and earning a doubleheader split.
Anthony Grabau led the way with two hits and three RBIs at the plate for the Rams. Andrew Kapica earned the W with three shutout innings of relief and Aric Berg locked down his second save of the season.
Hofstra Pride fall in seven at Liberty
capping off an 8️⃣-run inning‼️ pic.twitter.com/Iu9iulcb48
— Liberty Baseball (@LibertyBaseball) February 28, 2026
Hofstra struggled to recover from two decisive innings, falling 13-2 in seven innings to Liberty Flames Saturday.
Liberty took control early, scoring five runs in the first inning. Hofstra briefly held a 1-0 lead on an RBI double by CJ Griggs, but the Flames responded quickly and maintained pressure throughout the entire contest.
The game was effectively decided in the fourth inning, when Liberty sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight runs which stretched the lead and forced Hofstra into catch up mode for the remainder of the game.
Hofstra added its second run in the sixth inning following a double and an infield out. The Pride finished with four hits on the day, while Liberty’s starter allowed two hits and one unearned run across five innings of work.
Hofstra will look to bounce back in the series finale tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
Saturday’s games highlighted the thin margins that often define early season college baseball. St. John’s remained competitive against a ranked opponent but couldn’t capitalize on scoring chances, Stony Brook saw a hard earned ninth inning lead slip away in dramatic fashion, Fordham responded to adversity by splitting a doubleheader, and Hofstra struggled to contain a surging Liberty lineup. Each team returns to the field Sunday with opportunities to make adjustments, close out series, and build momentum moving forward.
