The Canisius College baseball team lost a doubleheader at Cleveland State on Tuesday, at the Pipe Yard in Lorain, Ohio. The Vikings won the first game 9-8 in 10 innings and took the nightcap 5-3.
Junior Kevin Mailloux led Canisius with five hits and five RBIs on the day while slugging 1.143. Junior Alex Cabello had three hits and three RBIs while Ian Choy and Branson Joseph each had three hits in the doubleheader as well.
Cleveland State rallied from a 7-1 deficit to win the first game. Canisius (29-8) scored twice in the first when Mailloux had a two-RBI single to score Branson Joseph and Ian Choy. The Vikings responded with one in the second before Canisius scored three in the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth.
Mailloux had a solo homer in the third with out one to make it 3-1. After Kevin Reimer walked and Brian Burton reached on an error to put runners at second and third, Perry Silverman flew out to center for the second out of the inning. Alec Cabello then singled through the right side, scoring Burton and Reimer.
Reimer drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to make it 6-1 and Cabello had another RBI single in the fifth to put Canisius ahead 7-1.
The Vikings (17-18) scored four runs in the fifth, three of them being unearned. Tom Carter led off with a single and Nate Radtke reached on an error. After Adam Heideman struck out, Alex Kerins singled to score Carter. Kyle Bischof flew out to center for the second out, but Josh Brown homered down the left field line to make it 7-5.
The Vikings tied it in the sixth as Carter had an RBI single to get Cleveland State within one run. After Brad Buell was hit by a pitch, Ryan McGorman relieved Josh Sawatzky and hit Heideman to load the bases. McGorman struck out Kerins for the second out of the inning, but Bischof drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game.
Each team scored in the eighth, the first extra inning as the game was scheduled for seven innings. With one out, Choy and Joseph each singled while Kevin Mahoney walked to load the bases. Mailloux lined out to left to score Choy and give the Griffs the 8-7 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, McGorman struck out Carter, but he reached first on a wild pitch. After a sacrifice bunt moved Carter to second, McGorman (5-3) struck out Heideman for the second walk. Kerins walked to put runners at first and second. Carter stole third and Kerins stole second, with each runner advancing 90 more feet on a throwing error by Reimer as Carter's run tied the game.
In the 10th, Carter doubled to right center with one out and Buell followed with a double down the left-field line to score Carter and end the game.
In the second game, Canisius again took the early lead, getting an RBI single from Mailloux in the first. The Vikings then scored four runs in the second off Canisius starter Josh Marshall (0-1). Cleveland State received RBI singles from Carter and Bobby Cash while getting a sacrifice fly from Bischof and bases-loaded walk from Geric.
The Griffs responded with two in the top of the third, when Mailloux scored on a throwing error. Paul Panik added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 4-3.
Aaron Boag relieved Marshall and threw four innings, allowing one run, four hits and walking none. The lone Cleveland State run off Boag came in the sixth when Kerins singled with two outs, stole second and came home on a single by Bischof.
Canisius returns home for its final home weekend series of the season. The Griffs will host Manhattan in a battle of the MAAC's first-place teams. The three-game series starts with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Game Notes: Senior Adam Donato wasn't in the starting lineup in the first game, the first time he hasn't started since the second game of the doubleheader at Appalachian State March 1... The loss in the first game ended Canisius' road winning streak at 11 games, which was the longest in the country... McGorman has been a part of the decision or recorded a save in nine of his last 10 appearances... Boag's four innings pitched were the most by the junior on the season... Mailloux raised his batting average 28 points on the day and now leads the team at .390.
