The Canisius College softball team opened the home portion
of the 2010 slate in style on Monday, as the Golden Griffins swept a non-league
doubleheader from Robert Morris, beating the Colonials by scores 1-0 and 10-1 in
five innings. Canisius has now won three straight and improved to 15-13 on the
year while Robert Morris slipped to 12-12.
Canisius junior Paige Freiberger went a combined 4-for-6
with four RBIs, three runs scored, two doubles and a homer in the two wins,
with the home run serving as the game-winning run in the first contest.
Sophomore Lizzy Gatto had three hits on the day, two of which were doubles, and
two stolen bases while sophomore Katie Lancellotti and senior Michelle Fridey
also racked up multiple hits on the afternoon. As a team, Canisius hit .356
(16-for-45) against Robert Morris' pitching and collected a total of five
doubles and eight stolen bases in the wins.
In the first game, Freiberger drove an 0-2 pitch over the
fence in left field to help lift the Griffs to the 1-0 lead, the team's fourth
one-run victory this season. The game was a pitchers' dual for most of the way
as Canisius starter Amanda Baun and Robert Morris starter Alexa Bryson battled
back and forth. Baun earned the win, her ninth of the season, after she gave up
four hits and struck out seven in seven innings of work. Bryson took the loss
after giving up one run on five hits while fanning 10 and walking two.
Canisius had a chance to score in the fifth, but came away
empty after Bryson forced a two-out pop-up with the bases load. After Baun
retired the Colonials in order in the top half of the sixth, Freiberger led off
the bottom half of that frame with a solo shot, her team-leading seventh of the
season. Gatto, Freiberger, Lauren Hope, Emily Helbig and Amanda Cannizzo all
tallied hits in the game one victory for the Blue and Gold.
In the nightcap, Canisius wasted little time getting on the
scoreboard, as the Griffs posted an early 4-0 lead and never looked back in the
10-1 mercy-rule win. Already leading 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Fridey
drove in a run with a base hit to center, and she would later score when
Freiberger roped a line-drive, ground-rule double over the fence in center to
give the Griffs a 2-0 lead. Canisius added three runs in the third and then
scored three more time in the bottom of the fourth to help Caroline Main pick
up her sixth win of the season in the circle.
Main allowed one run and struck out four while giving up
eight hits in the 10-1 win for Canisius. Her teammates helped her with their
bats, as the Griffs scored 10 runs on 11 hits in the second game off losing
pitcher Annie Dubovec. Freiberger went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs in
the second game, while Lancellotti went 2-for-2 with three runs batted in, a
sacrifice fly and a stolen base, her 13th of the season.
Canisius will return to action Thursday, April 8, when the
team hosts cross-town rival Buffalo. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Game Notes: Canisius improved to 19-2 all-time in home
openers at the Demske Sports Complex... The Griffs are 10-2 at home since
sweeping Saint Peter's at home April 5, 2009... Freiberger's seven home runs
makes her just the sixth player in school history to post seven or more homers
in a single season... The Griffs have four players (Gatto, Fridey, Hope and
Freiberger) tied for the team lead with 20 runs scored... As a team, Canisius
improved its stolen base percentage to 85.3 percent (58-for-68)... Baun's seven
strikeouts on Monday gives her 106 for the season, making her just the second
pitcher in school history to fan 100-or more batters in her rookie season...
Canisius Hall of Famer Michelle Corrigan had 106 strikeouts in her freshman
year of 1991... Main now has eight complete-games this year and Canisius improves
to 9-6 in her 15 starts.
