The Canisius softball team moved its winning streak to six straight with a MAAC doubleheader sweep at Iona in New Rochelle, N.Y., Monday afternoon. The Golden Griffins took game one by the score of 13-5 before winning the nightcap 8-4. Canisius is now 12-9 overall and 4-0 in MAAC play, the program's first 4-0 start in conference action since 2008.
In the first game, Canisius scored 12 unanswered runs to overcome a 5-1 deficit on its way to the 13-5 victory. Canisius sophomore Jessica Berzins put the Blue and Gold up 1-0 early with a leadoff homer to start the doubleheader. That was the first home run in Berzins' career. From there, Iona scored the game's next five runs, including three in the third that gave the Gaels (4-15, 2-2 MAAC) a 5-1 lead after three innings of play.
In the fourth, Canisius scored three times, highlighted by RBI-singles from sophomore Sarah Andrews and senior Michelle DelPrince. The Griffs knotted the game at 5-5 in the top-half of the fifth on an RBI-single by freshman Moriah Harris, and the Griffs took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth. In that frame, senior Meghan Cuda scored on a passed-ball, DelPrince was credited with a sacrifice-fly to center than pushed sophomore Samantha Sharkey across the plate and senior Robin Kennery scored later in the frame on a base hit off the bat of junior Alexis Roman.
Canisius pounded out 16 hits in the game one victory, as six Griffs registered multi-hit games in the win. Berzins went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and an RBI and Roman also had three hits for Canisius. Kennery scored three times for the Blue and Gold, while Sharkey and Cuda also crossed the plate twice each.
Freshman pitcher Madi Weathers earned the win for Canisius after she went the distance and allowed five runs on six hits while striking out six and walking three. For Weathers, it was her sixth win of the season.
In the second game, the Canisius bats stayed hot, as the Blue and Gold scored six times in the top-half of the first and plated two more runs in the second frame en route to the 8-4 win. In the top of the first, Harris hit a ground-rule double that pushed two runs across, and in the second, Sharkey had a base hit that allowed DelPrince and Berzins to score. Iona was able to make it a six-run game at 8-2 with two runs in the home-half of the second, and the Gaels scored two more times in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 8-4, but the eight runs through the first two innings proved to be more than enough for freshman starter Erika Mackie, who posted her sixth win of the season in the circle after she gave up four runs on six hits to go with two strikeouts.
Canisius will return to action on Wednesday, April 1, when the team travels to play a non-conference doubleheader at Robert Morris. First pitch in Moon Township, Pa., is set for 3 p.m.
Game Notes: Canisius improved to 37-16 all-time against Iona with the two wins… The win snapped the Griffs' five-game losing streak to Iona, dating back to April 15, 2012… Dating back to last season, Canisius has won six-straight MAAC games… The 13 runs scored in the game one victory are the most for the team this year… As a team, Canisius is now hitting .321 for the season, which ranks 35th in the nation… Kennery moved into ninth-place on the school's career hit list with her 169 career hits… Berzins is the sixth different Canisius player to hit a home run this season.
