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Canisius University Athletics

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Baseball Handshakes vs. Siena
Dean Bogart
3
Siena SIE 4-14, 0-2 MAAC
4
Winner Canisius CAN 7-15, 2-0 MAAC
Siena SIE
4-14, 0-2 MAAC
3
Final
4
Canisius CAN
7-15, 2-0 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Siena SIE 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 3 3
Canisius CAN 0 4 0 0 0 0 X 4 6 1

W: Hunt, Nolan (2-0) L: White, Brendan (0-4) S: Burmaster, Jarod (1)

4
Siena SIE 4-15, 0-3 MAAC
5
Winner Canisius CAN 8-15, 3-0 MAAC
Siena SIE
4-15, 0-3 MAAC
4
Final
5
Canisius CAN
8-15, 3-0 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Siena SIE 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 4 8 0
Canisius CAN 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 X 5 11 0

W: DeStefano, Jeff (1-2) L: McCully, Mike (1-1) S: Frank, Will (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Completes Sweep of Siena with Two Wins Sunday

Recap
The Canisius baseball team swept a doubleheader from Siena on Sunday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex, taking game one, 4-3, before rallying to earn a 5-4 victory in the nightcap. The wins move the Golden Griffins to 8-15 overall and 3-0 in MAAC play, while the Saints fell to 4-15 overall and 0-3 in league action with the pair of losses on Sunday.
 
This marks the first time Canisius has opened MAAC play with a 3-0 record since 2016, and it also extends the Griffs' win streak in conference regular games to seven in a row, dating back to the end of the 2018 campaign.
 
Game One
Canisius scored four times in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of junior Jake Burlingame, and senior starter Nolan Hunt allowed three hits and fanned six over 6.1 innings of work as the Griffs started the day with a 4-3 win in the first game of the MAAC twin-bill. Siena led 1-0 heading into the home-half of the second before Canisius answered with a four-run frame. In that inning, the Blue and Gold took a 2-1 lead when senior Conner Morro and junior Stephen Bennett scored on a throwing error by Siena. Burlingame followed with his third triple of the season to straight-away center that allowed freshman Dylan Vincent and senior Joseph Preziuso to score.
 
Siena cut Canisius' lead to 4-3 in the fourth with two runs on a two-run home off the bat of designated hitter Alex Milone, but Hunt locked down the Saints' bats from there, allowing just three more base runners until he was lifted with a man on first base and one out in the seventh. Junior Jarod Burmaster came on in relief of Hunt and got the final two outs of the contest to secure the save, his first save as a member of the Griffs.
 
Canisius had six hits in the game-one victory, with Morro going 2-for-3 with a run scored. The win improved Hunt to 2-0 on the hill this season for Canisius, while Siena starter Brendan White went the distance and took the loss after he allowed four runs, all of which were unearned, to go with two strikeouts and two walks.
 
Game Two
Canisius junior Jacob Victor drove in a career-high four RBIs and the Griffs' bullpen kept the Blue and Gold out of trouble, as Canisius came from behind to score a 5-4 win in the second game of the MAAC doubleheader Sunday afternoon.
 
Siena jumped out to a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom-half of the fifth before back-to-back triples by Canisius put the Griffs on the board. With one out in the fifth, junior Andy Leader got the rally started with a three-base hit to the gap in right-center, and then Leader scored moments later after Burlingame recorded his second triple of the day (fourth of the season) to the gap in left-center. Victor made it a one-run game, as he followed Burlingame's triple with a two-run homer to right-center, his second career home run and his first since 2017.
 
In the sixth, Canisius took the lead for good as Victor drove in a pair with a two-run single through the left side to plate Vincent and Leader. Siena threatened to tie or take the lead in the eight, as the Saints had the bases loaded with two outs, but reliever Zach Chivers came on and fanned Siena's Yasser Santana with three-straight pitches to keep the Blue and Gold in the lead. In the ninth, junior closer Will Frank retired the Saints in order to secure the victory, his team-leading third save of the season.
 
Canisius pounded out 11 hits in the game-two win, with five different players recording multi-hit efforts in the victory. Leader, Burlingame, Victor, Bennett and Morro all had two hits in the win for the Griffs, while Leader scored twice. Sophomore Jeff DeStefano came on in relief of starter Andrew Kneussle and earned his first career victory on the hill after he tossed two innings of scoreless relief, where he allowed two hits and struck out one. Siena's Mike McCully took the loss for the Saints after he gave up two runs on four hits to go with a walk and a strikeout in 0.1 innings of relief.   
 
Head Coach Matt Mazurek's Postgame Comments
"The three-game sweep is huge for us to get a good starting point in conference play. It was definitely a grind, there was a two-run game and two one-run games. Our guys had the opportunity to show some things that they haven't had the chance to show up until this point, and for them to come out on top is going to be a learning point for them moving forward and hopefully in a positive direction.
 
"Yesterday, a lot of runs came in, and that was big emphasis point today. We needed our starters to give us good starts and we needed the bullpen to come out ready, and I think we got that today and that helped contribute to the victories.
 
"It was really cool to be back at home. This is a great place, it's just so comfortable to see all the fans around. To have the support we have here is special and this place is unique, you have to love the Demske."
 
Game Notes
• This was the 135th and 136th all-time meetings between Canisius and Siena, as the Saints now hold an 81-55 edge.
• The three-game sweep of Siena is Canisius' first over the Saints in regular-season play since 2009.
• The last time the Griffs took both games of a doubleheader was May 17, 2018 against Marist.
• This is the Griffs' second series win of the season after going 2-1 in three games at Charlotte.
• Canisius has recorded 10-plus hits in seven of its last 11 games.
• Hunt's 6.1 innings is the deepest a Canisius starter has gone this season and establishes a new career high for the lefty.
• Victor now has an eight-game hit streak.
 
Up Next
Canisius stays at home to continue their conference schedule, facing Manhattan March 30-31. The doubleheader Saturday is slated for 2:30 p.m., while the series finale Sunday will begin at noon.
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