The
Canisius baseball team split a doubleheader at UNC Asheville on Saturday
afternoon. The Golden Griffins won the opener 4-2 and then lost 6-4 in the
second game of the day at Greenwood Field.
Game One - Canisius 4, UNC
Asheville 2
Canisius
(3-3) scored quickly in the top of the first as junior Jesse Kelso led off with a walk and scored on a triple form junior Shane Zimmer. The Griffs added two
unearned runs in the fourth as sophomore Connor
Panas reached on an error to start the inning and moved to third on a
double from senior Chris Gruarin. An
RBI groundout from freshman Brett
Siddall scored Panas and an RBI single from senior Christian Segar would score Gruarin. The Griffs went up 4-0 in the
fifth as Kelso led off with a single and eventually scored on an RBI single
from Gruarin.
Junior
Garrett Cortright picked up his
second win of the season, allowing two runs, one earned, in 6.2 innings.
Cortright allowed eight hits and struck out four. Junior Jon Fitzsimmons got the final out of the seventh for his first save
of the season.
Game Two - UNC Asheville 6,
Canisius 4
Canisius
built a 3-1 lead in the second game as sophomore Mike Krische led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch
and eventually scored after a UNC Asheville throwing error. A sacrifice fly
from Kelso scored Zimmer later in the inning. After the Bulldogs scored once in
the bottom of the first, the Griffs answered with a run in the top of the
second. Siddall led off with a double, moved to third on a ground out and
scored on a wild pitch.
UNC
Asheville (2-3) scored three runs in the third, including a two-run homer from
Ian Graham to go up 4-3. The Griffs tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the
fourth, which started with Siddall reaching on an error and Siddall being hit
by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Mike Booth, a sacrifice fly from freshman Anthony Massicci scored Siddall to tie the game.
The
Bulldogs used the long ball again in the fifth inning to take a lead they
wouldn't relinquish. Robert McIntosh hit a two-run homer to put UNC Asheville
up 6-4. Canisius got the tying run to third base in the top of the seventh, but
Gruarin lined out to second base to end the game.
Sophomore
Rohn Pierce (1-1) took the loss for
the Griffs, allowing six runs, five earned, in five-plus innings. Senior Jason Rubenstein threw a scoreless
inning of relief. UNC Asheville used six pitchers in the game after starter Elliot
Criss left after the first batter of the day. Nick Schavone picked up the win
by throwing a scoreless 1.1 innings.
Canisius
and UNC Asheville are scheduled to wrap up their series on Sunday, with another
doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
