Johnson City, TN (May 23, 2026) – The sixth seeded Northern Essex Community College baseball team fell on the opening day on the NJCAA World Series to third seeded Niagara County by an 11-5 final score on Saturday morning to move into the loser's bracket elimination game on Sunday morning.

The Knights threatened in the top of the first leaving a pair of runners in scoring positions but couldn't capitalize as they left 8 runners on base in the game. Niagara would capitalize and get ahead 1-0 after the first inning with a sac fly.

Niagara would get four more in the third before the Knights would respond getting on the board with a pair in the fourth. With one out, Kade Masselli (New Gloucester, ME), Marbel Soriano (Boston) and Brooks Keefe (Marblehead) all recoded singles with Masselli scoring on the third single of the inning and Soriano and scoring on an error by the catcher.

Niagara would make the score 10-2 before the Knights made it interesting in the seventh inning with three more runs, Jesse Yngber (Miami) reached on fielders choice and scored when Owen Derocher (Berkley) ripped a triple to deep center field followed by a Jack Aylward (Lowell) line drove home run over the wall in left field.

Jack Kelleher (Haverhill) went 5.1 allowing 10 runs on 12 hits while striking out three. Jayden Souza (Fall River) and Eric Bridges (Saugus) closed out the game going 2.2 innings with Bridges picking up a pair of strikeouts.

NECC recorded 10 hits in the game to 16 for the Thunderwolves.

The Knights sit at 31-9 and will face off against either Caldwell Tech or Rowan-Gloucester in the elimination bracket.