The Canisius College softball team extended its winning streak to five straight with a doubleheader sweep of St. Bonaventure at McGraw-Jennings Field Wednesday afternoon, taking the first game 6-4 and the nightcap by a final count of 7-3. The Golden Griffins, who have won 12 of their 14 games this month, improved to 24-14 on the season while the Bonnies slipped to 8-21 with the pair of losses.
Canisius racked up a total of three home runs off St. Bonaventure pitching, with one coming in the first game and a pair of homers coming in the second contest. In the first game, Canisius sophomore Lizzy Gatto hit her fourth home run of the season with two on and two outs to give the Blue and Gold the 6-4 victory. In the nightcap, junior Paige Freiberger tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth when she hit her team-leading 10th home run of the season, which ties the school's single-season home run record. Later in the game, senior Michelle Fridey put Canisius ahead for good in the sixth with a two-run shot over the fence in left.
For the twinbill, Gatto went a combined 4-for-5 with a double, a homer, two runs scored and four RBIs, while Freiberger, Fridey and junior Lauren Hope also collected multiple hits in the victories. Hope went 2-for-5 with four stolen bases and three runs scored, while Fridey drove in four runs in the wins, giving her 40 RBIs on the season.
In the first game, Canisius jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first. Fridey put the Griffs on the board with a sacrifice fly that allowed Hope to score from third. Moments later, freshman Katie Medina scored on a wild pitch and Gatto followed with an RBI-single to the gap in left center that allowed sophomore Katie Lancellotti to score from second. The Bonnies answered with a single run in the home half of the first and then three runs in the second to take a 4-3 lead, a lead the home team would hold until the top of the seventh.
In the seventh inning, Medina got the inning started by drawing a leadoff walk, and then she advanced to second one a base hit by Fridey. The Bonnies retired the next two Canisius hitters after making a pitching change, but Gatto was able to give the Griffs the win with a three-run bomb on the first pitch she saw from St. Bonaventure relief pitcher Sherri Thompson. St. Bonaventure threatened in the bottom of the seventh by loading the bases with two outs, but sophomore Caroline Main was able to get Thompson to ground out to end the game.
Main earned the win, her 11th of the year, after she went the distance and gave up four runs on six hits to go with eight strikeouts and five walks. Erin Nargi was settled with the loss for the Bonnies after she gave up five runs on six hits while walking five in six innings of action.
Hope put the Blue and Gold up 1-0 in the top of the first as she used her speed to move around the bases. After drawing a leadoff walk, Hope stole second and then moved to third base on a passed ball. She would end up stealing home, her fourth steal of the day, for the team's first run.
St. Bonaventure scored twice in the home half of the first and the score remained 2-1 into the fourth before Freiberger ripped her 10th homer of the season to center to knot the game at 2-2. The Bonnies scored for the final time in the fourth to make the score 3-2, but Canisius answered with three runs in the sixth, with Fridey's two-run homer and an RBI-double by Emily Helbig helping give the Griffs the lead for good.
Freshman Amanda Baun posted her MAAC-leading 13th win of the season after she gave up three runs on five hits while fanning eight in seven innings of work.
The Griffs will return to action Sunday, April 25, when the team takes on Rider in a MAAC doubleheader. First pitch at the Demske Sports Complex is set for 10 a.m.
Game Notes: Canisius is now 49-11 all-time against St. Bonaventure, and Wednesday's two wins over the Bonnies extends the Griffs' win streak in the series to six straight... The two wins also improved the team to 15-4 on the road this season, where the Blue and Gold is outscoring its opposition 127-50... Fridey and Gatto are now tied for the team lead with 12 multi-hit games apiece... Freiberger now shares the school's single-season home run record with former Griff Jess Martin, who hit 10 homers during the 2005 campaign... Hope's four steals (two in each game) gives her seven multi-steal games this season... The win in game one was the 740th career victory for Canisius head coach Mike Rappl.
