The Canisius College softball team opened the MAAC portion of the 2011 schedule with a pair of wins on Saturday at the Demske Sports Complex, rolling past visiting Saint Peter's by scores of 9-1 in five innings and 9-0 in five innings. The Golden Griffins have now won three straight and improved their record to 13-11 overall and 2-0 in league play, while the Peahens slipped to 1-19 on the season and 1-3 in conference action.

Canisius senior Lauren Hope finished the twinbill by going a combined 6-for-7 with a triple, four runs scored, two RBI and three stolen bases. Fellow senior Emily Helbig went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in for the Blue and Gold, while senior Paige Freiberger added three hits, including a double, to go with four runs scored and four RBI. Junior Lizzy Gatto crossed the plate four times in the two wins, as the Griffs ended both game early thanks to the NCAA softball mercy rule.

Freshman pitcher Jen Consaul picked up her third win of the season in the first game after she went five innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out three. Sophomore Amanda Baun earned her team-leading sixth win of the season in the circle as she tossed four scoreless innings in the nightcap, where she allowed two hits and struck out eight. Junior Caroline Main came on in relief and struck out the side in the fifth inning to help Canisius secure the win.

In the first game, Canisius jumped on the scoreboard with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Hope, who started the frame off with a base hit and then touched home on a triple by Gatto, who would score moments later on a base hit by Freiberger. Junior Katie Lancellotti smacked a single through the infield with two outs that allowed Freiberger to score to close out the scoring in the home half of the first.

The Blue and Gold added two runs in the third on a pair of sacrifice flies off the bats of Helbig and sophomore Stephanie Pfentner. After the Griffs scored a single run in the fourth, Canisius ended the game early with a three-run fifth, with Hope racing home to score from third base after a wild pitch with two outs.

Hope went 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBI in the game one, with her triple in the fifth serving as her MAAC-best fifth of the season. Canisius tallied 10 hits in the victory, with Freiberger and Lancellotti adding two hits to the winning cause as well. Saint Peter's pitcher Shelby Beaver took the loss after she allowed nine runs on 10 hits while walking two.

Canisius picked up right where it left off in the second game, scoring six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the first in an inning where 10 Griff hitters stepped into the batter's box. Junior Lauren Falzone drove in the first run of the game with an RBI-triple to the gap in left center, and moments later, she scored on a double-steal that also saw Gatto reach second base. Gatto scored on an RBI-base hit by Helbig, and Lancellotti followed her with an RBI-single through the infield that pushed Freiberger across the dish. The Griffs chased Saint Peter's starter Erica Colon after just 0.2 innings of work, where she allowed six runs on six hits while walking two. She was relieved by Beaver, who gave up three runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of work.

Hope went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two stole bases in the second game, while Helbig added three hits to the winning cause as well. Falzone went 1-for-2 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI in the second game, while junior Lauryn Chris and sophomore Chloe Contreras added a base hit and an RBI in the victory.

The Griffs will continue their first homestand of the season Sunday when the team plays host to Manhattan at the Demske Sports Complex. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.

Game Notes: Canisius now leads the all-time series against Saint Peter's by a 40-11 count... The Griffs' 9-1 win in game one on Saturday improves the team to 20-2 all-time in home openers at the Demske Sports Complex... The pair of wins improved Canisius to 27-5 in its last 32 home dates, and the Griffs improved to 38-4 in their last 42 home MAAC contests, dating back to 2006... Hope now tied for fifth in school history with 17 career triples... Her three stolen bases in the doubleheader gives her 12 for the season and 106 for her career... Hope, who entered the day ranked fourth all-time in career runs scored, needs one more to become just the fourth player in school history to cross the plate 125 times in her career...   Freiberger's double in game two gives her 29 in her career, which ranks 13th in school history... Lancellotti had an RBI in each game to give her 14 this season and 84 in her career, which ranks 13th all-time in program history... Baun's eight strikeouts in game two gives her 237 in her career, leaving her four shy of moving into the top-10 on the school's career strikeout chart.