The Canisius College Golden Griffins dropped a pair of
non-conference games on Sunday on the final day of the Miami (Ohio)
Invitational in Oxford, Ohio, losing to the Robert Morris Colonials 5-2 before falling
to Michigan State 4-3. Canisius went 1-3 at the two-day event hosted by Miami
(Ohio) and slipped to 11-11 overall on the season.
In the first game, Canisius trailed 1-0 into the top of the
third, but the Griffs scored twice in that frame to take a 2-1 lead. Sophomore
Lizzy Gatto got the inning started with a leadoff triple, and scored moments
later on an RBI-single off the bat of senior Michelle Fridey. After Fridey
stole second, and advanced to third on a groundout, sophomore Katie Lancellotti
followed with an RBI-single of her own to make the score 2-1. That lead however
would be short lived, as the Colonials would score twice in the bottom of the
third to regain the lead at 3-2, and then RMU added two more runs in the bottom
of the fourth to end the game's scoring at 5-2.
For Canisius in the first game, Gatto went 2-for-4 with the
triple and a runs scored, while Fridey, Lancellotti, junior Lauren Hope,
freshman Katie Medina and sophomore Lauren Falzone all added base hits. Hope,
Fridey and Lancellotti were also credited with stolen bases in the losing
effort as the Blue and Gold left eight runners on base.
Robert Morris starter Alexa Bryson earned the win in the
circle for the Colonials after she gave up two runs on seven hits while walking
two and striking out two. Canisius sophomore Caroline Main took the loss for
the Griffs after she gave up five runs, three earned, on eight hits over four
innings.
In the second game against Michigan State, Canisius took an
early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Gatto scored from second base on
a fielder's choice by Lancellotti. After the Spartans tied the game in the top
half of the second, Michigan State took the lead for good with a pair of runs
in the top of the fifth to make the score 3-1, and added an insurance run in
the sixth, which proved to be key as the Griffs would score twice in the home
of the frame to make the score 4-3.
In the sixth, junior Paige Freiberger got a two-out rally
going with a single through the right side of the infield. Lancellotti followed
Freiberger's hit with a two-run homer to left center off winning pitcher Lauren
Kramer. Kramer would stop Canisius' scoring from there however, as she induced
three ground-ball outs and an infield pop-up against the next four batters to
close out the game.
Lancellotti went 1-for-3 with a homer, a run scored and
three RBIs in the loss for the Griffs, while the Spartans racked up five hits
off losing pitcher Amanda Baun. Baun took the loss for Canisius after she gave
up four runs, three of which were earned, on five hits while fanning five and
walking four in six innings of work.
Canisius will return to action Friday, March 26, at 3 p.m.,
when the team meets Buffalo for the 2010 home opener at the Demske Sports
Complex.
