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Sue Vi takes a swing in the 2021 MAAC Softball Championship game May 15, 2021 at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y.
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6
Winner Manhattan MAN 22-14
3
Canisius CAN 26-14
Winner
Manhattan MAN
22-14
6
Final
3
Canisius CAN
26-14
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Manhattan MAN 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 6 8 1
Canisius CAN 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 8 1

W: Williams, Nicole (13-2) L: Nicosia, Emily (8-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Season Ends with Loss to Manhattan

The sixth-seeded Manhattan Jaspers won their first MAAC Softball Championship since 1999 by defeating the second-seeded Canisius Golden Griffins 6-3 Saturday afternoon in the final game of the 2021 MAAC Softball Championship tournament at the Demske Sports Complex. Manhattan graduate student Nicole Williams, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, earned her team-leading 13th win of the year in the circle after she allowed three runs and scattered eight hits to go with three strikeouts in her fifth victory in the postseason.

With the win, Manhattan (22-14) earned the MAAC's automatic berth into next weekend's NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Canisius, which was playing in the MAAC Championship final round for the first time since 2010, sees its season end with a record of 26-15.

For Canisius, graduate student Sue Vi went 2-for-2 with two runs scored in the losing effort, while seniors Erin Huffurd and Kara Paradowski also added two hits. Paradowski also drove in a pair of runs for the Griffs in the home-half of the sixth that cut Manhattan's lead at the time to 4-3.

The Jaspers took a 1-0 lead in the third after senior Emma Kindblom ripped an RBI-double off the fence in left field that allowed fellow senior Victoria Alonso to score. Canisius wasted little time tying the game, as freshman Gianna Fazzolari's sac-fly to center allowed Vi to race home from third base.

Manhattan scored single runs in the fourth and fifth inning before Alonso's RBI-single to left in the top-half of the sixth made the score 4-1 in favor of the Jaspers. Canisius trimmed that lead to 4-3 in the home-half of the sixth on Paradowski's two-out base hit to left center that allowed pinch-runner Sophia Recrosio and Vi to score. Williams buckled down and kept her team in the lead, however, as she induced a fly-ball out to end the scoring threat for the Blue and Gold.

In the seventh inning, Manhattan's added a pair of insurance runs on a two-run homer hit by designated player Mars Deemer. Canisius was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game, securing the second MAAC softball title in Manhattan program history.

Canisius starter Emily Nicosia took the loss in the circle for the Griffs after she allowed two runs on four hits through four innings of work. Nicosia, Vi and junior Hannah Catallo-Stooks were all named to the 2021 MAAC All-Tournament Team for their contributions to the effort in the team's four games over the weekend.

Head Coach Kim Griffin's Postgame Comments
"We had the bats going today, we just couldn't capitalize and score enough runs. We cut their lead down to one run late, but their big hitters made some plays when they needed them."

"This was certainly a challenging season. We worked on taking everything one day at a time, because you were never totally certain who you were going to be playing, when you were going to play, who was going to be available. It was a lot to handle, for sure, but our girls were super-flexible and ready to adjust at a moment's notice. Our girls came here ready to go with the flow and win games, and that's what we did."

"All year, we had fifth-year players and our seniors on the field, and they were playing with a lot of freshmen. As the year went along, our freshmen ended up playing some really big roles for us. That was made possible because our fifth year kids and our seniors were great leaders on and off the field. Our team chemistry is something we are very proud of and look forward to continuing to build upon. Everyone on our roster came to play and be their best every day, despite some difficult circumstances."
 
Game Notes
• This marked the 10th time Canisius has hosted the MAAC Softball Championship, with the last occasion coming in 2015.
• Saturday was the 16th time Canisius and Manhattan have met in the conference' softball tournament. The Griffs are 13-3 in the postseason against the Jaspers.
• Manhattan's only other MAAC Championship title came in 1999 where the Jaspers also defeated Canisius.
• Paradowski ended the season with 40 stolen bases, which led the MAAC and ties her with former Griff Lauren Hope for the program's single-season stolen base record.
• Paradowski ended the year with 14 multi-hit games after recording two base hits on Saturday.
• Fazzolari's 27 RBIs in her rookie campaign are the most for a Canisius freshman since Katie Lancellotti had 28 runs batted in during the 2009 season.
• The two runs scored by Vi in the losing effort marked the second time this year she scored multiple runs in a game.
• Graduate student Morgan Altman ended her career on Saturday having played in 174 career games. She started 145 of those contests.
 
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