The Canisius baseball team, which recorded a win in the opening game of its series against Winthrop on Friday, dropped a pair of games to end the series on Saturday afternoon, 2-1 and 3-1, as the Eagles took weekend slate. With the pair of losses Canisius dropped to 10-5 overall while Winthrop improved to 7-8.

GAME ONE RECAP

In the first matchup, the Golden Griffins took a 1-0 lead early in the contest, plating a run in the top of the second inning, but Winthrop tied things up in the bottom of the sixth and later recorded a walk-off single to take the game 2-1.

Andrew Kneussle started the game for the Blue and Gold and worked a strong five innings, as he allowed just four hits and held the Eagles scoreless in the no-decision.

Brennan Smith came on in relief and hit his first batter, giving the Eagles a leadoff baserunner. After successfully executing a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, gave Winthrop a runner on third with just one out. A walk by Smith, ended his day and brought in Jared Kennedy.

Kennedy recorded the second out of the frame, inducing a groundout but it moved the runner along to put Eagles on second and third with two outs.  It appeared Canisius was on the cusp of escaping the inning but two-straight walks loaded the bases and then brought in the tying run.

The score stayed 1-1, until the bottom of the ninth, when a leadoff single by Grady English, issued by Will Frank, managed to move over to third with two outs. Again it appeared Canisius was on the verge of salvaging the frame before a single by Brandon Fite brought in the winning run.

The Griffs only run of the game came in the second, when Joseph Preziuso reached base by way of a hit-by-pitch and advanced his way to third thanks to a steal and an errant throw by the catcher. Jake Burlingame singled home Preziuso the next batter to give Canisius the early 1-0 lead.

GAME TWO RECAP

In back half of the double-header, the Eagles used a two-run bottom of the fourth to stake claim to a lead it never relinquished, handing J.P. Stevenson his first loss of the season, winning 3-1.

A two-run double by Hunter Lipscomb, dealt the biggest damage in the bottom of the fourth, as back-to-back singles issued by Stevenson prior to the at-bat proved to haunt the third-year hurler.

It looked like the Griffs were primed for a rally in the top of the sixth inning, when Tim Kensinger tripled to right center to lead off the inning. Mark McKenna walked to put runners on the corners with no outs to start the frame.

In the third at-bat of the frame, Liam Wilson reached on an error, brining in Kensinger, to make it 2-1. However the middle of the order went down in order as Jake Lumley grounded out, Ryan Stekl lined out, and Christ Conley struck out, to end the late rally.

Winthrop added one final run in the bottom of the seventh to add insurance to the lead and held on to win 3-1.

Canisius recorded just four hits in the finale, while Winthrop rapped out eight knocks in the win.

Stevenson worked 6.2 innings and allowed a season-high eight hits, to go along with three earned runs. Tyler Smith came on in relief and worked the final 1.1 frames, and allowed no hits and no runs and fanned one batter in the outing.

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