Getting
two solid pitching performances and scoring double-digit runs in each game, the
Canisius College baseball team opened the 2010 MAAC schedule with a
doubleheader sweep of Iona College at the Demske Sports Complex on Saturday.
Canisius took the first game 11-2 and won the nightcap 14-3 to improve to 13-8
overall.
Senior
Perry Silverman had a game-high six
hits on the day, to go along with five RBI. Senior Shayne Willson was 5-for-9 with two home runs and seven RBI while
senior Ian Choy also had five RBI.
Redshirt junior Shane Davis threw
eight innings in the opener, allowing two runs and striking out nine to pick up
the win. Redshirt senior Andrew
Van'tWout threw 4.2 scoreless innings of relief in game two, allowing one
hit and one walk while striking out six.
In
the first game, Canisius added single runs in the first and second, getting two-out
RBI singles from Willson and Silverman. The Griffs broke open the game with a
seven-run fourth inning. Silverman had a two-RBI single and Sean Jamieson scored Silverman on a
ground-rule double. Steve McQuail
followed with a two-out RBI single and Willson reached on a bunt to put
runners
on first and second. Brad Medici
tripled home both runners and came around to score on a wild pitch.
After
Davis (3-2) allowed a leadoff single in the third, the Belmont, Ontario native
retired 13 straight batters until the top of the seventh. The Gaels got on the
board with two runs in the top of the seventh and the Griffs added two in the
bottom of the eighth on RBI singles from Choy and Willson.
In
the second game, Canisius scored first again, as Choy drew a two-out walk and
McQuail sent a homer over the center-field fence to make it 2-0. The Gaels
(5-12) responded with three runs in the top of the second off Canisius starter Billy Martin. Van'tWout would come into
the game with one out, runners on first and second and three runs already
scored. The redshirt senior got a pop out and strikeout to end the Iona rally.
Canisius
scored the final 12 runs of the game, taking the lead for good in the third
when Choy had a three-run homer and Willson hooked a homer inside the foul pole
inside the left-field line. The Griffs added three in the fourth on a two-RBI
ground-rule double from Silverman and RBI single from Choy. Canisius broke open
the game with a five-run sixth, which freatured a grand slam from Willson.
Van'tWout
(4-0) went 4.2 scoreless innings, facing one batter over the minimum. The lefty
allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six.
Canisius and Iona wrap up the series on
Sunday. The single, nine-inning game is scheduled to start approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the Canisius women's lacrosse game, which is
starting at 10 a.m. First pitch should be between 12:30 and 1 p.m.
Game Notes:
Canisius opens MAAC play with a 2-0 record for the second time in the last three
seasons... Freshmen Matt Thomas and Jordan Cave each threw a scoreless
final inning in the two games... Willson set a career-high with his five
RBI in
the second game... Choy extended his hitting streak to six games and has
14 hits
in the last seven games... Will Chomicki
also extended his hitting streak to six games... Jamieson had four hits in the
first game after not recording more than two hits in any of the first 19 games...
Medici's triple was the first of his career, one game after hitting the first
home run of his career on Wednesday... Van'tWout now has 25 strikeouts in 20.1
innings pitched, an average of 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings... Canisius was
8-for-14 with two outs in the first game and 11-for-24 on the day... Canisius
pitchers held Iona to 3-for-21 with runners on base in the doubleheader and
1-for-16 with two outs.
