FISHKILL, N.Y. - Getting 8 1/3 innings from redshirt junior Shane Davis and scoring five runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, the Canisius College baseball team won its opening game in the first round of the 2010 MAAC Championship, with a 7-5 win over Manhattan at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y. on Wednesday afternoon.

No. 1 seed Canisius advances to the winners' bracket game on Thursday evening at 7 p.m., where the Golden Griffins will play the No. 3 seed Rider Broncs. Rider beat Marist 10-7 on Wednesday night, setting up Thursday's action, which will feature Marist and Manhattan in the first elimination game, set to start at 3 p.m.

After Manhattan scored one in the top of the third, Canisius took control of the game with a six-run bottom of the fourth inning. Senior designated hitter Ian Choy drove in the first run with a fielder's choice to second base that allowed junior Will Chomicki to score, and moments later, junior Brian Burton had a two-RBI, opposite-field single to right that allowed Choy and senior Perry Silverman to score. After Manhattan made a pitching change, senior Shayne Willson greated Manhattan reliever Mike Gazzola by driving a 2-2 pitch to the gap in left-center for a double to knocked in two runs. Fellow senior Paul Panik drove in the final run of the inning when he stroked a single to center that allowed Willson to score.

Canisius added an insurance run in the home half of the sixth when junior Steve McQuail took the first pitch of the frame over the fence and deep into the wooded area behind the left field fence. Those runs would prove to be enough for Davis, as he earned his sixth-straight win over Manhattan in a starting role.

The Jaspers did mount a comeback in the top half of the ninth when Manhattan scored two runs, but Willson came in from right to close the door by getting the final two outs in the ninth. Davis allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out three. Davis improves to 3-0 in three MAAC Championship starts, with all three wins coming over Manhattan. Eric Luksis took the loss for the Jaspers after he allowed five runs on four hits while walking seven and striking out two.

For the Griffs, Sean Jamieson went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles while McQuail and Burton each had multiple hits on the day. Manhattan's Austin Sheffield had two hits in the losing effort for Manhattan, which fell to 30-19 with the loss.