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Canisius University Athletics

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Will Frank
Marshal Filipowicz
2
Canisius CAN 1-8
3
Winner Winthrop WIN 7-0
Canisius CAN
1-8
2
Final
3
Winthrop WIN
7-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Canisius CAN 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 6 5
Winthrop WIN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 X 3 6 2

W: COKER, A. (1-0) L: Kochanski, Brett (0-1) S: RENDON, C. (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Frank’s Stellar Start Not Enough as Winthrop Sweeps Baseball

RECAP
Despite seven shutout innings from senior Will Frank, the Canisius baseball team dropped the final game of its series with Winthrop, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at The Winthrop Ballpark in Rock Hill, S.C. The Golden Griffins committed three errors in the eighth inning to surrender three unearned runs to the Eagles, allowing Winthrop to clinch the series sweep.
 
With the loss, the Griffs fell to 1-8 on the season, while Winthrop improved to a perfect 7-0 record in the 2020 campaign.
 
Senior Andy Leader got the Blue and Gold on the board first with a solo home run in the third inning, providing Canisius with the early 1-0 lead.
 
Canisius added another run in the eighth when senior Jake Burlingame singled to score redshirt-sophomore Mike Mazzara after Mazzara had reached base with a single to start the inning.
 
Winthrop wiped out the Griffs' lead in the bottom of the eighth, as two Canisius errors to start the frame set up Luke Hannum's sacrifice fly to make it 2-1. Spencer Yankle later drew a bases-loaded walk to even the score, while Cale Gibson scored Andrew Jenner on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat to give the Eagles their first lead of the game at 3-2.
 
The Griffs nearly scored the tying run in the ninth on a Mike Steffan double, but sophomore Dylan Vincent was thrown out at home plate on the play. Canisius then put runners to the corners with two outs, but Colten Rendon got his third save of the season by inducing a pop-out from senior Stephen Bennett.
 
Frank's career day saw the right-hander register career-highs with his seven innings pitched and seven strikeouts, allowing five hits and not issuing his lone walk until the seventh. Opposite of Frank, Winthrop's Tyler Jones threw five innings and allowed just one run on three hits, as neither starter factored into the decision.
 
Dalton Skinner followed Jones with one unearned run in 2.1 innings, while Dalton Mims, Aaron White and Andrew Coker combined to allow one hit in 0.2 frames of work. Rendon finished with one hit allowed over his one inning on the mound.
 
Canisius sophomore Brett Kochanski was saddled with the loss after being on the hook for the three unearned Winthrop runs in 0.1 innings, while junior Joe Barberio got the final two outs for the Griffs via a pair of punch-outs.
 
Head Coach Matt Mazurek's Postgame Comments
"Will pitched great for us. He took command from the first pitch and did a great job working his way through seven innings. That was the best we have seen Will look this year and we are glad he got himself going for us today! It was a tough luck loss as we spoiled yet another quality start. 
 
"A few takeaways that can put us on the other side of the win column are for our guys coming off the bench to be prepared to enter the game. We have a lot of depth and a lot of moving parts, meaning guys' numbers can be called at any point in the game to make a difference for us. Today we did not embrace that on both sides of the ball. Next time we will."
 
Game Notes
• The all-time series between the two teams moves to 7-2 in Winthrop's favor.
• Frank's seven shutout innings is the second time a Canisius pitcher has done so in the past three days, as senior Kyle Warner also threw a career-high seven scoreless innings on Friday.
• The home run was the second of Leader's Canisius career, previously hitting a homer against Siena on March 23, 2019.
• Leader is the first Canisius player this season to record each type of extra-base hit.
• Mazzara has at least one hit in every start he has made this season.
• The last time Canisius had three one-run games in the same weekend was March 19-21, 2016, as the lost, 4-3, to La Salle before defeating St. Joseph's by 2-1 and 4-3 scores.
• The last time the Griffs suffered three one-run losses in the same weekend was March 12-13, 2011, losing, 7-6, to Dayton and then losing twice, 2-1 and 4-3, to Wright State.
 
Up Next
Canisius heads back to the state of West Virginia next weekend for a four-game series at Marshall, taking on the Thundering Herd from Feb. 28-March 1.
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