The Canisius College baseball team scored double-digit runs for the 15th time this season in the first game and then received a six-hit shutout from freshman Shane Davis in the second game to sweep a doubleheader from Saint Peter's at Jaroschak Field in Jersey City, N.J. on Saturday. Canisius won the first game 16-6 and took the nightcap 7-0 to improve to 20-4 in road games in 2008.
Junior Kevin Mailloux led the Griffs with four hits on the day to go along with his 12th home run of the season. Freshman Brian Burton and junior Kevin Reimer each had four RBIs in the doubleheader while junior Kevin Mahoney scored four runs and reached base in six of his nine plate appearances.
Davis (9-1) pitched his seventh consecutive complete game and first career shutout, setting school records in victories and complete games in a season. The freshman yielded six hits and walked none while striking out one.
Canisius (34-10, 13-4 MAAC) never trailed in either game and took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of each game. Perry Silverman reached on an error, moved to second on a one-out walk by Mailloux and scored on another error later in the inning. The Griffs scored twice in the third inning, getting an RBI groundout from Branson Joseph and RBI single from Mahoney.
After Saint Peter's (18-25, 6-11 MAAC) got on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the fourth, the Griffs broke it open with five in the fifth and four in the sixth. In the fifth, Canisius took advantage of a number of Saint Peter's miscues, starting with a error to start the inning that allowed Ian Choy to reach base. Mahoney brought Choy home with a one-out RBI double. With runners on second and third, Burton reached on an error that scored both runners. Reimer walked and each runner moved up 90 feet after a wild pitch. After Brian Gibbs struck out for the second out of the inning, Burton would score on a balk and after a walk to Alec Cabello, the Griffs executed a double steal to make it 8-1.
Saint Peter's scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 8-3. In the sixth, Burton had a two-RBI single, Gibbs forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk and Cabello made it 12-3 with a sacrifice fly.
Mailloux hit a solo homer in the seventh to make the score 13-3. Each team scored three runs in the ninth, with the Griffs getting an RBI single from Burton and two-RBI double from Reimer.
Alex MacKenzie (5-2) went eight innings to pick up the victory. The junior allowed eight hits and three runs, two earned, walked two and struck out five.
In the nightcap, Canisius scored a run in the first without a hit. Choy led off the game with a walk, moved to second and third on two wild pitches and scored on a RBI groundout by Mahoney.
Saint Peter's starting pitcher Santo Maertz took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before the Canisius offense broke through for six runs as the first seven Canisius batters reaching base in the inning. Joseph started the inning with a single with Mailloux following with a double. After an intentional walk to Mahoney, Burton brought Joseph home with an infield single. Reimer singled to center, scoring two runs and making it 4-0. Connor Burke followed with an RBI single and Silverman closed out the scoring with a two-RBI single.
Canisius and Saint Peter's close out the three-game series on Sunday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
Game Notes: Mailloux set the school record for RBI in a season with 46 and is now second in homers, one off the school record... Since his first start, Davis has allowed 60 hits in 62.1 innings pitched with 14 walks, 29 strikeouts and a 1.30 earned run average... Canisius has scored four runs or more in 31 separate innings this season... Mailloux also takes over the runs scored lead with 50, passing Adam Donato who had the school record with 48 this season... Burke has an RBI in five of the last seven games... In the last three games, Burton is 5-for-13 with four runs scored and five RBI... Will Chomicki appeared in both games and had two at-bats in the opener, the first at-bats for the freshman since March 25... MacKenzie has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 of 17 starts... Mahoney is 12-for-24 in the last seven games...Silverman has started three consecutive games for the first time this season.
