Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Canisius University Athletics

#Griffs The Official Home of the Canisius University Golden Griffins | #Griffs
The softball team celebrates a 4-2 MAAC quarterfinal round win over Rider on May 8, 2021 at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y.
Lindy Feider
4
Winner Rider RID 17-18
3
Canisius CAN 22-12
Winner
Rider RID
17-18
4
Final
3
Canisius CAN
22-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Rider RID 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 4 9 3
Canisius CAN 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 4 0

W: Groskritz, A. (7-5) L: Churchill, Alexis (7-3)

2
Rider RID 15-19
4
Winner Canisius CAN 23-12
Rider RID
15-19
2
Final
4
Canisius CAN
23-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Rider RID 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 6 0
Canisius CAN 1 0 0 0 3 0 X 4 8 0

W: Nicosia, Emily (7-5) L: Jones, D. (7-10) S: Giese, Megan (1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Splits to Force Sunday Elimination Game

Second-seeded Canisius scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to rally for 4-2 victory over seventh-seeded Rider in game two of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Softball Championship quarterfinal series doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex in downtown Buffalo.
 
The Golden Griffins (23-12) salvaged a split of the opening twin bill in the best-of-three series after the Broncs (17-19) took game one, 4-3, earlier in the day.  
 
The teams will meet for a winner-takes-all game three Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Demske Sports Complex. The game will air live on ESPN+.
 
Game One Recap
Canisius struck first in the bottom half of the third, plating three runs on two hits and an error to take a 3-0 lead. The Griffs got their first run of the frame on a Rider fielding error that allowed pinch runner Christie McGee-Ross to score from third before run-scoring singles from Erin Hufford and Morgan Altman plated the final two runs.
 
The Broncs responded in the top half of the fourth, using an RBI-double from freshman Jessie Niegocki and a two-run single off the bat of designated player Chaela Crowder to tie the game at 3-3. 
 
The visiting team took its first lead of the game in the top of the fifth when Lani Moreno roped a two-out double to center field, scoring Elena Gonzalez to put Rider in front, 4-3.
 
Rider pitcher Ann-Marie Groskritz would make the lead stand, stranding three Canisius base runners over the final three innings to earn her seventh win of the season. In a complete-game effort, Groskritz allowed three unearned runs on four hits and two walks. She struck out seven.
 
Crowder was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI while Gonzalez chipped in two hits and scored twice to pace the Broncs lineup in the opener.
 
Junior Alexis Churchill took the loss in the circle for the Griffs to move to 7-3 on the season. In 4.2 innings of work, Churchill allowed four earned runs on nine hits. She did not issue a walk and struck out one. Freshman Megan Giese took over for Churchill in the top of the fifth and faced the minimum of nine batters as she struck out two.
 
Hufford, Lindsi Dennis and Destiny Falquez accounted for the Griffs three base hits in day's first game.
 
Game Two Recap
Canisius jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, using a sacrifice fly from Altman to score Hufford, who drew a leadoff walk to open the frame.
 
Rider drew even in the top half of the third after Brianna Koonce led off the frame with a solo home run to center field for her first long ball of the season.
 
Koonce put the Broncs in front in the top of the fourth, hitting a two-out single to shallow right field that scored Niegocki from second to make it a 2-1 contest.
 
The Griffs reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, tallying three runs on four hits to build a 4-2 advantage. Senior Kara Paradowski opened the scoring in the inning with an infield single to bring home fellow graduate student Sue Vi, who led off the inning with an infield single. Altman and Dennis plated the final two runs of the frame with a pair of two-out doubles.
 
That would be all the support that Canisius would need, as it turned to Giese, who allowed just one hit over the final two innings while striking out four to record her first career save and force the decisive third game on Sunday.
 
Senior Emily Nicosia got the win for the Griffs in the nightcap, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings of work to improve to 7-5 on the season. Nicosia struck out two and walked just one.
 
Vi went 2-for-2 with a walk to lead the Griffs attack in game two, while Dennis, Hufford and Altman all added individual hits.
 
Head Coach Kim Griffin's Postgame Comments
"I'm proud of the fight that we showed in the second game, and Megan Giese came up huge for us today in both games, but especially in the second game to close things out. Sue Vi leading off the fifth inning and starting that rally for us with her base hit brought a lot of life to the team, and then her head's up base running and speed to score from second on a base hit was such a momentum play for us. Our upperclassmen stepped up when we needed them most there late in game two. This is what we've worked for all year. We're excited to have another chance to play as a team tomorrow in an elimination game."
 
Game Notes
• Saturday's doubleheader marked Canisius' first appearance in the MAAC Softball Championship since the 2016 campaign.
• The best-of-three series against the Broncs marks the first time Canisius and Rider have met in the postseason since the 2006 MAAC Championship.
• The Griffs are now 7-3 at home this season. Canisius has not lost back-to-back home games at the Demske Sports Complex since the 2019 campaign.
• Dating back to the 2012 MAAC Softball Championship, Canisius has dropped its first game in each of its last four conference postseason tournament appearances. The Griffs have responded with wins in three of the four following elimination games after earning the game two victory on Saturday.
• Hufford, who had two stolen bases in the second game, is now 17-for-17 in stolen base chances this year.
• Giese's save in the second game marks the first time a Canisius pitcher has earned a save in a MAAC Championship contest since former Griff Jen Consaul recorded one in Canisius' 4-1 win over Marist on May 11, 2012.
Print Friendly Version