The
Canisius College baseball team scored 16 runs in the first three innings en
route to defeating St. Bonaventure 20-3 at the Demske Sports Complex on
Tuesday, in the 2011 home opener for the Golden Griffins. Canisius, who has won
five of its last six games, improves to 10-14 on the season.
Senior
Andrew Russo was 3-for-5 with four
RBI and two runs scored. Junior Drew
Pettit was 3-for-5 with four runs scored, three RBI and a home run. Senior Brian Burton, sophomore Chris Gruarin and freshman Ryan Coppinger each had two hits and
three RBI in the game.
After
St. Bonaventure scored once in the top of the first, Canisius scored seven runs
on just three hits in the bottom of the first as the Griffs took advantage of
two errors, three walks and a hit by pitch. Freshman Jose
Torralba led off with a walk, and freshman Ralph Alloco then laid down a sacrifice bunt. St. Bonaventure pitcher
Nick Brennen threw the ball away to put runners at second and third. After
senior Sean Jamieson was hit by a
pitch to load the bases, Burton singled through the hole on the left side to
score two runs. A walk to Pettit re-loaded the bases, and Gruarin followed with
a sacrifice fly to score Jamieson. A walk to freshman Shane Zimmer loaded the bases again, and Russo followed with a
single to score two more runs. Coppinger scored Zimmer with an RBI groundout
and a triple from Torralba scored Russo as Canisius sent 11 runners to the
plate in the first.
The
Bonnies scored another run in the top of the second as Canisius added two more
runs in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of two more St. Bonaventure
errors. Gruarin had an RBI double and Zimmer had a sacrifice fly to put
Canisius ahead 9-2.
The
Griffs broke the game open with a seven-run third inning, sending 11 batters to
the plate for the second time in the game. Coppinger led off with a single,
stole second, moved to third on a fly out and scored on an RBI single from
Alloco. After Jamieson flied out, six straight Golden Griffins reached base.
Burton tripled to right-center to score Alloco, and Pettit's fly ball down the
right-field line fell in for a base hit to score Burton. Gruarin had a
ground-rule double, and Zimmer walked to load the bases. Russo had another
two-RBI single, and Coppinger had a two-RBI double to put Canisius up 16-2.
Canisius
scored two runs in the sixth and seventh as Pettit hit his fourth homer of the
season to lead off the sixth. Zimmer had a one-out double, moved to third on a
wild pitch and then scored on a St. Bonaventure error laste in the inning. The Griffs then got an
RBI double from Pettit and sacrifice fly from Gruarin to close out the scoring
in the seventh.
Junior
Alex Tufts (2-0) won his second
straight start as the righty went five innings, allowed six hits and two runs,
walked five and struck out six. Redshirt Nathan
Linseman allowed one run in two innings of relief while freshman Jon Fitzsimmons threw two scoreless
innings to close out the game.
Canisius
continues its five-game homestand on Wednesday, when the Golden Griffins take
on the University at Buffalo. First pitch at the Demske Sports Complex is set
for 3 p.m.
Notes:
Canisius improves to 11-11
all-time in home openers at the Demske Sports Complex... Canisius has now won seven
of the last 10 against St. Bonaventure... Canisius improves to 45-14 (.763) at
home since being swept in a doubleheader by St. Bonaventure on April 18, 2007... The
triple for Burton was the second of his career... Russo matched a career high
with the four RBI (May 9, 2009 against Fairfield)... Alloco has three multi-hit
games in his last five starts... Burton extended his hitting streak to eight
games while Gruarin pushed his streak to seven games... Pettit has raised his
batting average 178 points in the last 14 games... Russo also matched a career
high with the three hits (March 18 at West Virginia).
