Davis' Pitching and Burton's Homers Give Baseball 3-2 Victory

Junior Brian Burton hit two homers on the day, including a two-run, go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning to give the Canisius College baseball team a 3-2 victory over Toledo on Friday, in the Johnny Gill Memorial at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. The Golden Griffins improve to 8-4 on the season.

Redshirt junior Shane Davis threw 8.1 innings, allowing four hits and walking just one while striking out five as Davis improved to 2-1 on the season. Senior Shayne Willson retired both batters he faced in the ninth to earn his first save of 2010.

Toledo (6-4) scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings as Davis was able to pitch out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth, getting a sacrifice fly and double play to end the inning. In the fifth, Matt Delewski scored on a passed ball to give the Rockets a 2-1 lead.

Those Toledo runs were sandwiched around a Canisius run in the fifth, which came on a one-out homer to right from Burton.

Davis also was able to pitch around five Canisius errors on the day, including four in the final three innings. The lefty didn't allow a hit in the first three innings or to the final 13 batters he faced.

In the ninth, sophomore Brad Medici doubled with one out and Burton followed with a two-run homer down the right-field line to put Canisius up 3-2.

Davis retired the first batter he faced in the ninth. Willson came onto the mound from right field and the first batter he faced reached on an error, but made a turn toward second. Burton tagged out the runner for the second out of the inning and Willson got a fly ball to left to end the game.

Canisius plays two nine-inning games on Saturday, taking on host Winthrop at 1 pm and Toledo at 4:30 p.m.

Notes: The Canisius bullpen now has a 3.26 ERA on the season in 38.2 innings pitched to go along with a 4-0 record and three saves… Canisius had its second win of the season in its last at-bat, with the other win coming in the first game of the season… Junior Sean Jamieson saw his hitting streak come to an end at 11 games… Burton had the second multi-HR game of his career, also hitting two against Gardner-Webb on Feb. 21, 2009... Davis improves to 23-4 in his career.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#33 Brian Burton: 1B; 6' 1"; Junior

#32 Shane Davis: P; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#4 Sean Jamieson: SS; 6' 0"; Junior

#2 Brad Medici: C; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#9 Shayne Willson: OF; 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#33 Brian Burton
: 6' 1"; Junior
: 1B

#32 Shane Davis
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: P

#4 Sean Jamieson
: 6' 0"; Junior
: SS

#2 Brad Medici
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: C

#9 Shayne Willson
: 6' 2"; Senior
: OF