Rallying
for a walk-off win in the first game and then scoring 11 runs in the second
contest, the Canisius College softball team continued its dominance at the
Demske Sports Complex with 3-2 and 11-3 (six innings) victories over Fairfield
on Saturday. The Golden Griffins improve to 28-15 overall and 10-2 in the Metro
Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Sophomore
Katie Lancellotti had a team-high
five RBI, all coming in the second game, while junior Paige Freiberger reached base in six of her nine plate appearances.
Senior Michelle Fridey had an RBI in
the first game, giving her 48 on the season and setting the program's single-season record.
Sophomore
Caroline Main (13-5) allowed two runs in nine innings of
work. Main earned the complete-game victory in the opener and then received the
save in the second game as the sophomore didn't walk a batter on the day.
Canisius
had a number of opportunities in the first game, leaving nine runners on base
through the first six innings. Fairfield (21-19, 5-5 MAAC) broke through in the
sixth when Dani Griswold homered to center field off the glove of Amanda Cannizzo, who tried to make a
leaping catch near the fence.
The
Griffs came back in the seventh, with junior Lauren Hope led off with a triple over the left fielder's head. After a four-pitch walk
to Katie Medina, Fridey singled to
right to make it 2-1. Freiberger followed with a double to center to tie the
game and put runners at second and third. Lancellotti reached on a fielder's
choice and after junior Kerry Ulmer
lined out to first, junior Emily Helbig
followed with a single to left center to score the winning run.
In the second game, Fairfield
took an early 1-0 lead on a home run from Kristie Trifolis, but the Griffs
carried over the momentum from the first game to put up five runs in the bottom
of the first, sending 10 batters to the plate. After Hope grounded out to start
the game, six consecutive Canisius batters reached base. Freiberger and Lauren Falzone each had an RBI single,
Lancellotti had a two-RBI single and Cannizzo had a sacrifice fly to put
Canisius up 5-1.
The
Stags scored two in the third, but Canisius closed out the game with two in the
fifth and four in the sixth. Lancellotti had an RBI triple and Lizzy Gatto had a sacrifice fly to put
Canisius up 7-3 after five. Falzone would double with one out in the sixth and
a throwing error allowed Hope to reach base. After Hope stole second, Medina singled
to left to score two runs. Fridey beat out an infield single and moved to
second on a throwing error. Lancellotti ended the game with a two-RBI single up
the middle.
Canisius
wraps up the weekend against first place Iona on Sunday. The Gaels split a
doubleheader at Niagara on Saturday, and are now 11-1 in conference play. First
pitch at the Demske Sports Complex is set for 12 p.m. Following the game, the
Golden Griffins will honor Fridey, their lone senior in the class of 2010.
Game Notes: Canisius
is now 8-0 overall in home games this season and improves to 34-4 in MAAC games
since the 2006 season... The home runs by Fairfield are the first extra-base hits
allowed by the Canisius pitching staff in home games this year. The pitchers
are still yet to allow a double or triple at the Demske... Canisius now leads the all-time series
with Fairfield 35-24... Canisius has now won six straight and seven of the last
eight meetings between the teams at the Demske... Fridey broke the
single-season RBI record, which was set during the 1985 season... Fridey has a
hitting streak of nine games and saw her nine-game streak of at least one RBI
end in the nightcap... Hope has scored a run in 10 straight games... Main has
allowed two or fewer earned runs in her last 11 appearances... The walkoff win was the first at home since April 9, 2009, when Canisius rallied for a 5-4 win with a three-run bottom of the seventh against Niagara.
