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Box Score 2 AMHERST, N.Y. — The Canisius baseball team completed the season sweep of rival the University at Buffalo with a doubleheader sweep at Amherst Audubon Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Griffins won 15-3 and 2-1 to improve to 24-14. Canisius has won four of its last five games.
Game One – Canisius 15, Buffalo 3
Canisius scored 11 runs in the first three innings and never looked back. The first Golden Griffins reached to start the game, with senior Jose Torralba scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout from senior Jesse Kelso making it 2-0 in the first. The Griffs scored seven runs in the second, sending 11 batters to the plate. Torralba had a two-RBI double, sophomore Brett Siddall had an RBI double and Kelso had an RBI single as Canisius took advantage of two errors in the inning. In the third, Siddall had an RBI groundout and junior Connor Panas had an RBI double to make it 11-1.
Siddall added a two-RBI triple in the fifth and RBI single in the seventh while Panas brought home a run with a sacrifice fly.
Freshman Josh Shepley (2-1) went a career-best six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked two and struck out three. Freshman Zachary Sloan allowed an unearned run in the seventh inning in his collegiate debut.
Siddall went 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBI while Torralba was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two walks whie matching a program record with five runs scored. Senior Ronnie Bernick matched career highs with four runs scored and three walks.
Game Two — Canisius 2, Buffalo 1
Buffalo (17-16) quickly scored a run in the bottom of the first as Nick Sinay reached on a bunt single and moved to second on an error by Panas. After a groundout advanced Sinay to third, he scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0.
That one run looked like it would hold up for the Bulls, as Brent Cleland threw five scoreless innings, allowed one hit and struck out six in five innings. Canisius was able to chase Cleland after five innings by forcing the freshman to throw 94 pitches. In the sixth, junior Jesse Puscheck led off with a single and stole second. Senior Jimmy Luppens worked a nine-pitch walk with one out, and each runner moved up to third on a fly out. Kelso would ground out to end the inning and strand two runners in scoring position.
The Griffs finally broke through in the seventh as freshman Christ Conley was hit by a pitch with one out. Bernick followed with a single that advanced pinch runner Jake Lumley to second base. Torralba came through with an opposite-field double down the right-field line to tie the game and put two runners in scoring position. Puscheck followed with a grounder to first, and Bernick was able to beat the throw home for the go-ahead run.
Junior Tyler Vavra allowed the one unearned run in two innings in his first start as a Golden Griffin. Junior Eric Stolzenburg (2-1) threw a career-high four innings and didn't allow a hit while striking out five. Junior Brandon Bielecki retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save of the season.
Canisius returns to the Demske Sports Complex for a non-conference game against Youngstown State on Wednesday. First pitch for the nine-inning contest is set for 3 p.m.
Notes: Kelso saw his consecutive games streak of reaching base end at 20 games in the nightcap… The 15 runs scored by Canisius in the opener were the most since the Griffs scored 17 runs at Norfolk State on March 9… Junior Mike Krische stole the 40th base of his career in the opener and became the first player in program history with 40 steals before his senior season … Canisius swept all four games from Buffalo this season, three of them by one run, and has won 16 of the last 20 meetings… Canisius now has five wins in its last at-bat on the season.
