Branson Joseph gave the Golden Griffins a memorable way to remember a record-breaking win.
The Canisius College baseball team scored seven consecutive runs in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to rally past Siena College for a 10-9 victory at the Demske Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. The victory is the 29th on the season for the Golden Griffins, setting a new program record.
Kevin Mahoney led Canisius (29-6, 9-3 MAAC) by going 4-for-4 with three home runs and six RBIs, with the three homers matching a school record. Joseph had two hits, three runs scored and three RBIs while freshman Brian Burton added two hits.
Down 9-3 after the top of the eighth, the Griffs tallied four runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the Siena lead to 9-7. Ian Choy led off the inning with a homer to right, ending the day for Siena starter Will Hassett. Joseph and Kevin Mailloux followed with back-to-back singles off Ray King. Mahoney then hit his third homer of the day, this one to left field, to make it 9-7.
In the ninth, Adam Donato led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch and Choy then walked to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Dan Miklas (1-1) relieved King, and Joseph worked the count full. The junior centerfielder then hit the next pitch to left field, giving Canisius the 10-9 victory.
“Siena outplayed us this weekend. Sunday baseball requires teams to persevere and grit out wins,” Canisius coach Mike McRae said. “It was great for our team to come from behind and salvage a victory.”
The Saints built a 9-3 lead with two home runs and five doubles in the first eight innings. Siena scored twice in the second, with Jason DeFillippo scoring on an error and Phil Cahill producing an RBI single. The Saints added a run in the fourth, the first of five straight innings where Siena would score, after an error by Canisius starter Mike Goemans, led to Nick Messinger scoring from third. The Griffs got two back in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer by Mahoney.
Siena (14-23, 7-8) added a run in the fifth on a homer by Eric Mruczek and added three more in the sixth. Cahill had an RBI single, Chris Klepps had an RBI double but was thrown out at third. Jacob Willis hit a homer to left to make it 7-2.
Mahoney hit his second homer of the day in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-3. Kevin Quaranto had an RBI double in the seventh and Willis added an RBI single in the eighth, making the score 9-3 and setting the stage for Canisius' rally.
Goemans went six innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, yielded nine hits and walked three while striking out three. Josh Sawatzky, Josh Marshall and Ryan McGorman (5-2), each pitched an inning of relief.
Canisius resumes play on Tuesday, playing a doubleheader at Cleveland State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Game Notes: The previous school record for wins was 28, in 1994... The walkoff victory is the fourth in the last 15 conference home games for the Griffs, with three of those coming on home runs... Mahoney tied the school record of Joseph and Paul Fede. Joseph hit three home runs May 19, 2006, against Manhattan in the team's final game of the season... McGorman hasn't allowed a run in his last four appearances, and is 2-0 with two saves during that span... Mahoney was 10-for-18, with seven runs scored, two doubles, four homers and 11 RBIs on the week... Canisius had its 14th come-from-behind victory this season and won for the fifth time in its final at-bat... Mahoney has 14 RBIs in the team's last four home games... Connor Burke's career-long hit streak ended at 12 games.
