Taking advantage of a six-run third inning and getting three double play groundballs, the Canisius College baseball team swept its third conference series of the season with a rain-shortened 13-2 win over Rider at the Demske Sports Complex on Sunday. The Golden Griffins improve to 27-14 overall and 11-1 in the MAAC, continuing to match the 1994 team for the best start to MAAC play in program history.

Senior Shayne Willson continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBI, including a grand slam in the third inning. Junior Steve McQuail had two RBI while junior Will Chomicki had a two-RBI triple in the seventh inning, shortly before the game was called. Senior Mike Goemans threw all seven innings, allowing four hits and two runs, one earned, to improve to 4-3 on the season and 3-1 in MAAC starts.

Canisius got on the board in the second, when Willson started the rally with a two-out single. The senior then stole second and after sophomore Drew Pettit drew a walk, sophomore Brad Medici doubled down the left-field line, scoring Willson but Pettit was thrown out at the plate attempting to score the second Canisius run.

The Griffs broke open the game with the six-run third inning. Rider starter Patrick Devlin (3-3) threw three straight one-out walks to load the bases and McQuail turned on a ball and kept it inside the third-base bag to score two runs. After a walk to junior Brian Burton loaded the bases, Willson sent the 1-1 pitch over the left-center field fence to put Canisius up 7-0.

Rider (19-18) scored twice in the fourth, taking advantage of a Canisius error. The Broncs loaded the bases with no outs, but Goemans induced his second of three double-play groundballs on the day to get the first two outs of the inning. Goemans appeared to get out the inning with a grounder to third, but a wild throw from Pettit allowed Rider to score its second run and make the score 7-2.

The Griffs added a run in sixth as senior Ian Choy singled to center and with junior Sean Jamieson running from first on the pitch, an error by the Rider centerfielder allowed Jamieson to score on the play, putting Canisius up 8-2.

Canisius scored five runs in the seventh, with Chomicki tripling to the fence in center field, scoring Medici and Willson. The Griffs would then score three more runs, all on wild pitches as the rain intensified. The umpires called for the tarps, and after meeting with the coaches, the game was called in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Canisius plays its next five games away from home, starting with a doubleheader at St. Bonaventure on Tuesday.

Game Notes: Canisius sweeps Rider for the first time in program history... Canisius is now 19-2 in its last 21 MAAC games... Goemans made his 50^th career start - continuing to extend his program record for career starts... Goemans has allowed three earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts and in eight of 10 starts in 2010... Canisius went 17-1 in MAAC play in 1994... Canisius improves to 33-9 (78.6 percent) in its last 42 MAAC games played at the Demske Sports Complex... Canisius has scored at least 10 runs in 11 of its last 15 conference games, winning all 11 of those games... Choy extended his hitting streak to 11 games, tied for the third-longest on the team this season... Canisius is now 13-1 on the season when facing a left-handed starter... Canisius improves to 21-3 when Chomicki is in the starting lineup... Silverman has scored a run in 14 straight games... Silverman now has 51 runs scored on the season, which ranks fifth in program history... McQuail has 49 RBI on the year, which ranks sixth in the record books... Willson has at least two hits in six of the last nine games, raising his batting average 57 points... Willson's grand slam was the fifth of the season for Canisius and second for Willson.