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Canisius University Athletics

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Softball Celebrates Beating Rider as the Griffs advanced to the MAAC's Sotball Championship Weekend with a win May 9, 2021 at the Demske Sports Complex.
Lindy Feider
5
Rider RID 17-20
7
Winner Canisius CAN 24-12
Rider RID
17-20
5
Final
7
Canisius CAN
24-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Rider RID 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 5 8 1
Canisius CAN 0 1 0 0 3 3 X 7 9 1

W: Giese, Megan (5-3) L: Groskritz, A. (7-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Rallies to Advance in MAAC Championship

Second-seeded Canisius plated six unanswered runs in its final two plate appearances to erase a four-run deficit and defeat seventh-seeded Rider, 7-5, in the decisive game of the 2021 MAAC Softball Championship best-of-three quarterfinal round Sunday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex.
 
With the victory, the Golden Griffins (24-12) advance in the MAAC Softball Championship tournament. With top-seeded Monmouth eliminated, the remaining four teams in the MAAC Softball Championship field will travel to Buffalo May 13-15, as the tournament moves to a double-elimination format. Those games will all be played at the Demske Sports Complex.
 
The Broncs see their season end with a record of 17-20. Rider was making its first appearance in the MAAC Softball Championship since the 2006 season.
 
Trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Canisius began its comeback with a two-out, bases-clearing double from graduate student Morgan Altman down the left-field line that made it a one-run game at 5-4. The Griffs continued to threaten in the frame, loading the bases once again, but Rider was able to escape with the lead as starter Anna-Marie Groskritz induced a flyball in foul territory down the first base line to end the inning.
 
Canisius continued its momentum in the sixth, as the first two batters of the inning reached on infield singles before a fielder's choice off the bat of graduate student Sue Vi allowed freshman Christie McGee-Ross to score from third to tie the game at 5-5. With one out in the sixth and with two Griffs on base, senior Kara Paradowski put the Blue and Gold in front, hitting the first pitch she saw back up the middle for a two-run single to give the home team a 7-5 lead.
 
That would be all the support that freshman Megan Giese would need, as she retired the Broncs in order in the seventh to end the game and send the Griffs to the MAAC's Championship Weekend.
 
Earlier in the contest, Rider broke open a 1-1 game in the fourth, plating four runs on five hits as it sent nine batters to the plate. The Broncs used run-scoring singles from Chaela Crowder and Gianna Epps to score the first two runs of the frame before a bases-loaded fielder's choice off the bat of Alyssa Ansara resulted in the last two runs of the inning.
 
In the top-half of the first, Rider took a 1-0 lead on a Canisius fielding error with two outs, which allowed Kelsey Marigliano, who reached base earlier in the inning on a bunt single, to score from second base. Canisius tied the game at 1-1 in the home-half of the second on an infield single off the bat of freshman Sydney Costan, that plated pinch runner sophomore Sophia Recrosio from second. The score would remain tied until Rider scored four times in the fourth.
 
Giese earned the win in relief after she allowed four runs on six hits to go with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Canisius starter Alexis Churchill tossed the first two innings of the game and allowed one run, an unearned tally, on two hits, while striking out one. The Griffs pounded out nine hits in the winning effort, with Paradowski going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Altman went 1-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in, while senior Lindsi Dennis also added a double to the Griffs' effort – her team leading 12th double of the season.
 
Groskritz took the loss for Rider after she allowed seven runs on nine hits to go with six strikeouts before she was lifted in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Debra Jones got the final two outs in the sixth after issuing a walk. All eight of Rider's hit in the loss were singles, with Marigliano, Jessie Niegocki and Crowder all recording two hits on the day.
 
Head Coach Kim Griffin's Postgame Comments
"One of the things we talked about was not playing fearful or scared, but just play hard. We stayed in the moment and did not let the moment get too good. I think that a lot of the time, especially for the seniors, when its playoffs and win or go home, it is just important to keep our emotions in check, and I think we did an awesome job of that today."
 
Game Notes
• Canisius ended up taking five of the seven games played against Rider this season, including three-of-four last weekend to close the home portion of the 2021 regular season.
• The Griffs now lead the all-time series over Rider by a 40-17 count.
• Canisius improved to 8-3 at home this season with Sunday's victory.
• Giese is the first Canisius freshman pitcher to earn a win in a MAAC Championship game since former Griff Amanda Baun threw a complete-game one-hitter against Niagara on May 14, 2010.
• Paradowski's stolen base in the sixth inning was her 39th of the season, which leaves her one steal shy of matching Lauren Hope's school record for steals in a year. Hope had 40 stolen bases in 2008.
• Dennis has recorded a double in each of the team's last four games.
• Altman's three RBI in Sunday's game are a season high for the Orchard Park, N.Y., native.
 
Up Next
Canisius will return to action Thursday, May 13, when the Golden Griffins meet Marist at the Demske Sports Complex. Game time and broadcast information will be announced when it becomes available.
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