The Canisius College softball team
closed out the regular season with a doubleheader split against Marist Saturday
afternoon at Gartland Field in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Golden Griffins took the
first game 2-0 before falling to the host Red Foxes 3-2 in the second contest.
The Blue and Gold ended the regular season with a 32-17 overall record and a
13-3 mark in MAAC play, and the win in game one allows Canisius to secure a
share of the 2010 MAAC regular-season championship and the top seed in next
weekend's MAAC Softball Championship, which will be held at the Demske Sports
Complex.
In the first game, Canisius
sophomore pitcher Caroline Main tossed
a complete-game, three-hit shutout to help the Griffs earn the program's 13thKatie Lancellotti
ripped an RBI single to left field, which allowed senior Michelle Fridey to score from second base. In the top half of the
second frame, the Griffs added the game's only other run on an RBI-single from
junior Lauren Hope. With one out in
the second, junior Emily Helbig got
on base with an infield hit, and then she was lifted for pinch runner Lauryn Chris. Chris moved to second
after sophomore Amanda Cannizzo was
hit by a pitch. Following a pop-fly in the infield, Hope stroked her hit to
center, allowing Chris to cross the plate from second base.
MAAC regular-season crown. Main got all the help she needed in the first when
fellow sophomore
Main improved her record to 15-6 on
the season and 8-0 in MAAC action after she gave up just three hits while
striking out seven and walking one in seven innings of work. Fridey and Hope
each had two hits in the winning effort as the Blue and Gold collected eight
hits in the game.
In the second game, Canisius took a
2-0 lead in the top half of the third when Lancellotti drove in a run with a
sacrifice fly to right and then Fridey scored moments later on a wild pitch.
The Red Foxes (9-34, 3-11) scored three times in the home half of the third on
two hits to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Canisius freshman Amanda Baun took the loss after she
allowed three runs on three hits while fanning five and walking one in six
innings of work. Fridey went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the
losing effort while Helbig added two hits in the second game.
The Griffs will return to action
Thursday, May 13, when the team takes on the No. 4 seed on the first day of the
2010 MAAC Softball Championship in Buffalo. Game times and opponents will be
announced by the MAAC office once the regular season officially ends on
Sunday.
Game Notes: Canisius
leads the all-time series against Marist by a 23-9 count... The two teams have
split the regular-season series in each of the last three years... This marks the
second time in the last three years the Griffs have won at least a share of the
MAAC regular season title... Fridey wraps up the regular season with a
team-leading .383 batting average and 16 doubles to go with 50 RBI... Canisius
enters next weekend's MAAC Championship with six players hitting better than
.310 for the year... The complete game for Main was her 18th of the
season, while Baun collected her 17th complete game of the year...
Hope was credited with her MAAC leading 32nd stolen base of the
season in the second game.
