The Canisius softball team closed out its weekend road trip to the New York City area on Sunday by earning a doubleheader split against Manhattan at Gaelic Park in Riverdale, N.Y. The Golden Griffins took the first game by the score of 3-1 before dropping the nightcap 11-4. Canisius is now 15-27 overall and 6-4 in MAAC play, while the Jaspers moved to 21-18 overall and 6-6 in league action.
Game One - Canisius 3, Manhattan 1
Canisius scored two runs in the third and added an insurance tally in the fourth for starter Madi Weathers, who went the distance and fanned five as the Griffs scored the 3-1 win over Manhattan. The win was Canisius' fifth-straight conference victory.
Canisius got in the board first in the top-half of the third when senior Meghan Cuda scored on a passed ball, and freshman Destiny Holani also crossed the plate on an RBI-ground out by senior Alexis Roman. In the fourth, Canisius jumped to a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI-single to left off the bat of Holani that allowed fellow freshman Lauren Castro to score from third.
Weathers picked up the win after she allowed just one run, an unearned run, on six hits while fanning five and walking five. Manhattan didn't help its cause in game one, leaving 10 runners on base.
Holani and junior Lindsey Silfer accounted for four of the Griffs' six hits in the win. Manhattan's Jenn Vazquez and Emily Cutler also had two hits in the losing effort for the Jaspers.
Game Two - Manhattan 11, Canisius 4
Manhattan scored six runs in the fourth and Canisius ended the second game with 10 runners left on, as the host Jaspers scored an 11-4 win over the Griffs Sunday afternoon.
Canisius trailed 3-2 after three innings, but the Blue and Gold took a 4-3 lead in the top-half of the fourth thanks to Roman drawing a bases loaded walk and Silfer knocking in a run with a base hit to right. But that 4-3 lead was short-lived, as Manhattan socred six times in the home-half of the frame to jump out to a 9-4 lead after four innings of play.
The Griffs had seven hits in the loss, led by Silfer who had two hits, an RBI and a stolen base. Cuda also had two hits and scored a run for Canisius.
Castro took the loss in the circle after she allowed seven runs on three hits to go with three walks in 3.0 innings of work.
Canisius will close out its seven-game road swing on Tuesday, April 26, when the team travels to play at long-time rival Niagara. First pitch in Lewiston, N.Y., is set for 4 p.m.
