The Canisius College baseball team moved to 8-0 in MAAC play for the first time in program history by sweeping visiting Siena on Saturday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. The Golden Griffins (24-12, 8-0 MAAC) took the first game 10-3 before coming back to take the nightcap by a final of 5-4. The Saints slipped to 13-21 overall and 2-6 in the conference with the pair of losses.

Canisius trailed 3-2 in the first game but took hold of the game in the home half of the seventh after 11 batters went to the dish in a seven-run rally for the Blue and Gold. The 10 runs of support were more than enough for Canisius starter Shane Davis, who earned his sixth win of the season after he allowed three runs, one earned, on seven hits while fanning six and walking one.

In the second game, Siena held a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth before senior outfielder Perry Silverman drilled a three-run homer over the fence in center to put the Griffs up 5-4. Junior Josh Marshall came on in relief of starter Chris Cox with two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth and got out of a jam with a ground ball before pitching a scoreless sixth to earn his third win of the season. Marshall was lifted with no one out and a runner at first in the seventh for reliever Shayne Willson, who retired three-straight batters to pick up his third save of the year.

In the first game, Canisius got on the board first in the bottom of the second on an RBI-single by Willson. After Siena knotted the game at 1-1 in the fifth, Canisius retook the lead at 2-1 in the bottom half of the frame when Willson drove a 1-2 offering from Siena pitcher Zach Hartman over the fence in left field. The Saints added two runs to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh, but that lead was short-lived as the Canisius offense exploded in the bottom of the seventh.

In that frame, junior Sean Jamieson drove in two runs with a single up the middle, and his hit was followed by an RBI-double off the bat of senior DH Ian Choy. With two outs in the inning and two runners on, junior Brian Burton broke the game open with a three-run shot to left to give the Blue and Gold an 8-3 cushion. Canisius closed the scoring in the seventh moments later when sophomore Drew Pettit hit a solo homer, his first as a Griff, into the netting behind the fence in left center.

Hartman took the loss for the Saints after he gave up nine runs, four earned, on 11 hits while striking out five and walking none. Jamieson wrapped up the first game by going 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBIs, while Burton and Willson each had multi-hit games in the first contest.

In the second game, Canisius trailed 4-2 after three innings before putting three runs on the board in the home half of the fourth on Silverman's fourth home run of the season. With Canisius leading 1-0 after one inning on a sacrifice fly by Steve McQuail, the Saints scored three times in the second, with the third run crossing the plate on an RBI-single by Anthony Giansanti. Siena added a tally in the third to make the score 4-1, but Canisius answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame when McQuail knocked in Choy with a base hit to center. With runners at second and third and one out in the fourth, Silverman took a 2-2 offering from losing pitcher Justin Brantley over the fence in center to put the Blue and Gold up for good at 5-4.

Brantley took the loss for Siena after he allowed five runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out four. Canisius starter Chris Cox went 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on five hits while walking four and fanning five before making way for Marshall, who earned the win after tossing 1.1 innings where he struck out one and walked two.

Silverman, Choy and McQuail all had multiple hits in the nightcap, with Silverman and McQuail teaming to drive in all five of Canisius' runs. Both of Silverman's hits were for extra bases in the victory with the homer and a double in the sixth.

Canisius and Siena will close out the weekend set on Sunday when the teams play one game at the Demske Sports Complex. Canisius' Mike Goemans (3-2, 3.78 ERA) will meet Siena's Robert Tedesco (3-3, 7,65 ERA) in Sunday's nine-inning affair, with first pitch is set for 1 p.m.