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Canisius University Athletics

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Ryan Boyer throws a pitch against Rider in the MAAC Baseball Championship
Marshall Haim
3
Canisius CAN 20-15
4
Winner Rider RIDERB 22-16
Canisius CAN
20-15
3
Final
4
Rider RIDERB
22-16
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Canisius CAN 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 8 2
Rider RIDERB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 4 10 0

W: Papeo, J. (3-2) L: Frank, Will (2-4)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Loses in Walk-Off to Rider

A walk-off single by pinch hitter John Volpe in the bottom of the ninth lifted Rider into the championship game of the MAAC Baseball Championship as it defeated Canisius, 4-3, on Thursday from Alumni Diamond in Fairfield, Conn.
 
Rider scored all four of its runs in the last two innings, coming on a pair of two-run singles.
 
Ryan Boyer started for the Griffs, pitching five shutout innings. He allowed four hits, walked one and struck out six. Boyer helped strand seven of the Broncs' 12 runners in his outing.
 
Frank Doelling was the starter for Rider. He lasted six innings, yielding two runs on two hits, while walking six. Doelling finished with eight strike outs.
 
Will Frank was the losing pitcher for Canisius (20-15, 17-13 MAAC), while Joe Papeo was the winning pitcher of record for the Broncs (22-16, 18-16 MAAC).
 
Canisius' pitching limited Rider to just three hits in 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position, with the first 15 batters going hitless.
 
Boyer was able to escape trouble in the first inning after Rider's first two batters reached base as he was able to leave runners at second and third behind a strikeout and flyout.
 
The Griffs struck first in the scoring column after the first two runners drew walks. Jacob Martins hit a two-run double to right field, giving Canisius a 2-0 advantage.
 
Rider had its first two runners again reach third and second in the bottom half of the inning, but were stranded once again, this time thanks to a pair of flyouts and a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Canisius loaded the bases in the third but an inning-ending double play prevented the Griffs from further extending its lead.
 
After each team exchanged 1-2-3 innings, Rider had its first two runners reach the corner bases before the Griffs had an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play kick started by Max Grant.
 
In the home half of the fifth, Boyer made a nice underhand toss on a Rider squeeze attempt preventing a run from scoring. He would later get a strikeout and groundout to strand a pair of runners in scoring position.
 
Grant made an unassisted double play in the bottom of the seventh to stave off a Rider scoring opportunity, keeping the game at a 2-0 score.
 
After knocking on the door throughout the contest, Rider finally broke through in the bottom of the eight on a two-run single by Jordan Erbe that tied the game at 2-all. 
 
Jacob Victor would restore the Griffs lead in the top of the ninth, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Mike Mazzara to give Canisius a 3-2 advantage.
 
Rider's half of the ninth inning started off with back-to-back walks, one issued by Jarod Burmaster and the other by Frank, who made a diving grab on a bunt attempt to the next batter. A wild pitch advanced both runners ahead one base before Volpe's pinch-hit, two-run walk-off single.
 
Jake Burlingame recorded the team's lone multi-hit performance.
 
Head Coach Matt Mazurek's Postgame Comments
"Overall, we just did not get the big hit with runners in scoring position when we needed it. We got out of jams and made some strong defensive plays to keep the lead, but lacked the ability to create a cushion offensively."
 
"Our season is on the line starting tomorrow and we need to show up to the field ready to play and give it all we have to keep it going. Reset, regroup and give it all we got."
 
GAME NOTES
• Boyer struck out six batters, giving him 41 strikeouts in 30.2 innings pitched this season. His 12.03 strikeouts per nine innings ranks second for a single season in program history. Only Tyler Smith's 12.14 mark in 2015 is better.
• Boyer has issued just five walks in his 30.2 innings of work. His 1.47 walks per nine innings ranks as the fifth-lowest in a single season.
• Burlingame extended his on-base streak to 28 games with his bunt single in the third inning. His streak is the longest since Liam Wilson reach base safely in 41 straight in 2018.
• Victor now has six sacrifice flies on the season, which is tied for the second-most in a single season in program history. He also had six in 2019 and is tied with Kevin Mailloux (2008) and John Cicero (2001).
• Victor now has 12 sacrifice flies in his career with the Griffs, tied with Christ Conley for third all-time. He is one shy of tying the program record, set by Ryan Stekl and Conner Panas.
• Frank made his first relief appearance since May 22, 2019 in a MAAC Championship game against Manhattan.
 
UP NEXT
No. 4 seed Canisius will face top-seeded Fairfield in an elimination game on Friday with a 9:30 a.m. first pitch. The start time has been moved up from the initially scheduled 11 a.m. start due to impending weather.
 
For complete coverage of Canisius baseball, please follow @GriffsBaseball on Instagram and Twitter.
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