Baseball Earns Split With Siena

Gabe Baida went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs, while Kevin Seitz pitched 2.2 innings without giving up an earned run as the Canisius College baseball team (3-32, 3-14 MAAC) took a 4-2 victory over Siena College (20-20, 8-7 MAAC) in the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. The victory broke a 16-game losing streak for the Griffs. Siena won the first contest 13-4.

Harpreet Padda (right) went 4-for-6 with two triples and a homer in the two games. Kevin Smith was 2-for-6 with a double. Tony Cipolla led the Siena offense, going 5-for-7 for the day with a double and a home run. Shawn Hampton and Matt Gidaly each collected five hits, and Steve Ballas stroked two homers and registered four RBIs.

Jordan Neufeld got the start in game two and pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one run and five hits in picking up the win. Seitz came on in the fifth with runners on second and third with one out and the Griffs leading 3-0. The junior got Scott King to fly out and Blake Hanan to pop up, and Canisius escaped with a 3-1 cushion.

Rowan Lam smacked a solo home run over the wall in right center in the bottom of the sixth to make the margin 4-1. Cipolla led off the seventh inning with a double and scored later on a passed ball as Seitz gave up just one run and two hits in earning the save.
Padda led off the contest with a home run to right centerfield, and Baida plated a run with a triple later in the inning. Canisius added another run in the third as Brian Hartmann reached on an error and scored later in the inning on a Baida single. Ken Grant tossed the complete game for Siena, giving up five hits and four runs while striking out eight.

The Saints collected 21 hits, including four homers and two triples in the first game, a 13-4 victory. Ryan Bitter pitched eight innings, allowing six hits and three runs to earn the win. Golden Griffin starter J. T. Wright struck out eight but allowed 13 hits and seven runs in seven innings.

Padda led off the game with a triple and scored on a Hartman sacrifice fly as Canisius scored the first run of the game. The Saints took a 3-1 lead in the second with the help of Ballas' two-run homer. Siena led 8-3 in the ninth and erupted for five runs to dispel any hopes of a Canisius comeback. Hampton plated Cipolla with a double, and Brian Schmotzer drove in two runs with a triple. Gidaly also tripled and scored on a Kevin Roberts single.

The Griffs and Saints will complete the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Gabe Baida: 3B; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#2 Brian Hartmann: SS; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#28 Rowan Lam: OF; 5' 10"; Junior

#21 Jordan Neufeld: P; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#9 Harpreet Padda: OF; 6' 0"; Senior

#29 Kevin Seitz: P; 5' 10"; Junior

#5 Kevin Smith: 2B; 5' 9"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#10 Gabe Baida
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: 3B

#2 Brian Hartmann
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: SS

#28 Rowan Lam
: 5' 10"; Junior
: OF

#21 Jordan Neufeld
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: P

#9 Harpreet Padda
: 6' 0"; Senior
: OF

#29 Kevin Seitz
: 5' 10"; Junior
: P

#5 Kevin Smith
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: 2B