The Canisius College softball team closed out non-conference play by splitting a doubleheader with cross-town rival Buffalo at Nan Harvey Field Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Griffins (22-21) took the first game by a score of 6-2 before falling in the nightcap 4-3 in eight innings. Freshman Lizzy Gatto had three hits on the day while sophomore outfielder Lauren Hope added two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. The split moves the Bulls to 24-24 on the year.
Senior pitcher Mallory Aldred earned the win in the first game, her 25th career win as a Griff pitcher. She went five innings and allowed just three hits while striking out seven. Freshman Caroline Main came on in relief and gave up two runs on four hits to go with three strikeouts in two innings of work. Aldred is now 15-6 on the season.
After four scoreless innings, Canisius broke the game open with six runs in the top half of the fifth frame. Gatto got the inning started with a leadoff double, and she would later score on an RBI-single by fellow freshman Katie Lancellotti. After a walk and a UB error loaded the bases, Hope knocked in two runs with a double down the left field line to put the Blue and Gold up 3-0. Rachelle Barrientos drove in a run with an RBI-groundout before Michelle Fridey and Paige Freiberger drove in runs with a pair of hits, Frieberger's being a double to center.
Canisius led 2-0 after two frames in the second game thanks to RBI hits by Fridey in the first and Gatto in the second. Buffalo tied the game at 2-2 in the third and then took the lead at 3-2 in the fourth when Terese Diaz scored on a Canisius error. The Griffs knotted the game at 3-3 in the sixth after Hope drove a pitch through the right side of the infield that allowed Freiberger to score from third base.
In the eighth inning, Buffalo's Kristin Waldron tripled to right center and advanced home on a Canisius fielding error to score the eventual game winner. The Griffs had runners at second and third with one out in the eighth but Diaz, who came on in relief in the sixth, got the final two outs to end the contest. Diaz improved her record to 14-14 on the year with the win while Canisius pitcher Juliette Bowers slipped to 5-10 after she allowed four runs, three earned, on 10 hits to go with two strikeouts.
The Griffs will close out the 2009 regular season Saturday, May 2, when the team plays at Siena. First pitch in Loudonville, N.Y., is set for 12 p.m.
Game Notes: Canisius and Buffalo split the season series in 2009, with each team winning two games... The Griffs are 23-15 all-time against the Bulls... Canisius was the home team in the second game... Aldred's 15 wins this season are five more than her first three year combined... Her 145 strikeouts this season ranks seventh best in school history for Ks in a single season... Hope's single in the second game was the 100th hit of her career.
