For the second consecutive season, the Canisius College baseball team rallied for a victory in its season opener. The Golden Griffins scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat Toledo 6-5 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C. on Friday.

Senior Will Chomicki had two hits and two RBI from the leadoff spot in the order while freshman Jose Torralba also went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Junior third baseman Drew Pettit was 2-for-4, and senior Sean Jamieson and freshman Shane Zimmer each reached base three times, drawing two walks apiece.

The Rockets scored single runs in the first and second innings off Canisius starter Shane Davis. Toledo pushed its lead to 4-0 in the fourth after a solo home run from Dan Sherwood and a two-out, RBI double from Chris Dudics. Toledo added another unearned run, its second in as many innings, in the top of the fifth to build its 5-0 lead.

Canisius rallied for the six runs in the bottom of the eighth by sending 10 players to the plate. Jamieson led off with a double and scored on a one-out single from senior Andrew Russo. After freshman Jimmy Luppens drew a walk and Pettit singled to load the bases, Zimmer drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Russo and make the score 5-2.

Adam Tyson (0-1) would come into the game for Toledo, the fourth pitcher of the day for the Rockets. Tyson would strike out freshman Ryan Coppinger for the second out of the inning. Down 0-1 in the count, Chomicki doubled home two runs to cut the Toledo led to 5-4. Torralba followed with a two-out, two-RBI single of his own, scoring Pettit and Luppens to give Canisius the 6-5 lead.

Redshirt sophomore Billy Martin (1-0) threw 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win. Martin allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out four. Davis allowed five runs, three earned, in 5.2 innings.

Canisius returns to the field on Saturday, when the Golden Griffins take on Creighton. The single game is set for 3 p.m.

Notes: Canisius also scored six runs in the season opener last year, rallying from a 5-3 ninth-inning deficit to pick up a 9-5 win over Wright State at the USA Baseball Complex... Chomicki batted lead off for the Griffs for the first time since April 11, at Saint Peter's last season... Canisius had five players in the starting lineup who weren't on the team last year - one senior, one sophomore and three freshmen... Canisius won its season opener for the third time in the last four seasons... Canisius played Toledo for just the second time in program history.