Geneseo, NY – On the first day of the 2026 Empire 8 Softball Championships, the No. 5 Golden Eagles lost a heartbreaker to No. 2 St. John Fisher in game one of the day, 2-0.
Liana DeValder (L, 11-6) started against Fisher in the circle, striking out a pair of Cardinals in the first inning for a strong start. She was in the zone, striking out eight total batters to help keep the game scoreless through seven innings. Twice late in the game, the Golden Eagles held defensively with Fisher's runners in scoring position. The freshman threw 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits with just one walk.
After seven full innings of softball without a run scored, the 0-0 game headed into an extra eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth, Fisher walked it off to steal a 2-0 win. A leadoff single got the Cardinals going, and then a 2-run homer with two outs from Isabella Mahar ended the game.
The Brockport bats collected five hits in the contest, but were unable to get a run across to score. DeValder was 2-for-3 at the plate to partner with her great pitching display.
Erin Dougherty was 1-for-4 in the leadoff spot,
Natalie Faas was 1-for-3 in the two slot, and
Caitlyn Dailey also went 1-for-3.
Brockport will look to bounce back in the afternoon in an elimination game against No. 6 Russell Sage. This win or go home matchup is scheduled for a 4:30pm start time.
