Canisius recorded 14 of its 16 hits from the fifth inning on as the Golden Griffins defeated Siena, 12-7, in the opening game of a three-game MAAC baseball series Friday afternoon at Connors Park in Loudonville, N.Y.
 
In addition to the 14 hits, Canisius scored 10 of its 12 runs in the final five innings to avenge a 6-2 deficit.
 
Sophomore Max Grant recorded his sixth four-hit game of the season, going 4-for-6 with a double and two RBI. Graduate student Mike Steffan was 1-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. Senior Dylan Vincent was 3-for-3 at the plate.
 
Junior Mike DeStefano and sophomore Carlin Dick scored three runs apiece in the contest for Canisius (19-18, 9-4).
 
Sophomore Matt Duffy recorded his third 10-strikeout game in 2022, fanning 10 Siena batters during his seven-inning outing. Duffy gave up eight hits and seven runs (six earned) while issuing just two walks. Of his 113 pitches thrown, 80 went for strikes.
 
Freshman Peyton Consigli earned his fourth save, striking out four in his two-inning outing. The lone baserunner to reach came on a ninth-inning walk.
 
Siena's Arlo Marynczak was the losing pitcher for Siena (9-28, 6-7). He surrendered 12 hits in seven-plus innings. He allowed nine runs (seven earned) while fanning 10 and walking just one. The 10 punchouts for Marynczak matched his career high for the third time.
 
GAME RECAP
After DeStefano reached on a Siena fielding error and Dick was hit by a pitch to open the contest, Grant drove home DeStefano on an RBI single, giving Canisius a 1-0 lead.
 
Following a pair of singles by Young and Vincent DiNicola, Livingston hit a sacrifice fly that brought Young home to tie the contest, 1-1, in the home half of the first.
 
Siena recorded five hits in the second inning to increase its lead to 5-1 after the second. Vincenzo Castronovo hit an RBI single before Young added a two-run single. Livingston capped the Saints' four-run inning with an RBI fielder's choice.
 
DeStefano led off the third with an inside-the-park home run that trimmed Canisius' deficit to 5-2. DiNicola, Siena's left fielder, attempted to make a diving catch but came up short, allowing the ball to roll to the base of the fence, enabling DeStefano to round the bases.
 
Duffy settled into a grove following the four-run inning, retiring 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. The Burlington, Ontario, native struck out seven in the stretch.
 
While not allowing a hit for the next 4.1 innings, the lone Siena baserunner that reached base safely came on a throwing error to Saints' leadoff hitter in the fourth. A sacrifice fly by DiNicola brought that runner home, increasing Siena's lead to 6-2.
 
The offensive surge by Canisius began in the fifth as consecutive singles by Dick and Grant was the beginning of a potential two-out rally. Marynczak, however, induced a flyout to prevent any runs from scoring.
 
Senior Kyle Kush hit a sacrifice fly and graduate student Mike Mazzara hit an RBI double that cut the Griffs' deficit in half, 6-4.

The two-run frame was the first of four consecutive innings with multiple runs scored by Canisius.
 
Dick opened the seventh by getting beamed by a pitch for a third time in the contest before Grant roped a single back up the middle. Steffan, Canisius' next batter, came up and put Canisius ahead with a three-run home run hit to right-center field.
 
Siena countered Steffan's round-tripper with a leadoff home run by Alex Milone, tying the game at 7-all.
 
The first five Canisius batters reached base safely in the eighth, highlighted by singles from Mazzara and DeStefano. Dick then reached on catcher's interference, which loaded the bases. Following a fielder's choice, which kept the bases loaded, Steffan was hit by a pitch that plated the go-ahead run. Redshirt freshman Josh Niles followed with a sacrifice fly and Vincent singled home a run to give Canisius a 10-7 lead.
 
Consigli came in from the bullpen in the home half of the eighth and struck out the side on just 12 pitches.
 
Kush increased Canisius' lead in the ninth, swinging at the first pitch he saw, depositing a leadoff home run to left field. After consecutive outs, Dick singled through the right side before Grant doubled him home, increasing Canisius' lead to 12-7.
 
Consigli slammed the door in the ninth, yielding just a one-out walk to solidify the victory for Canisius.
 
Head Coach Matt Mazurek's Postgame Comments
"Today's win was a good one for our guys because we faced adversity in a variety of areas and we found ways to overcome and never waver. Our ability to stay with our plan and ride it out until the fifth and sixth inning, when we broke through, was great. The guys stayed the course and did a good job with pitches and counts to make things happen.
 
"Matt Duffy was the glue of the game for us. For him to buckle down and get us thru seven innings puts us in a good spot moving forward. It was great to see him do that."
 
GAME NOTES
• Friday marked the 136th meeting between the two Empire State rivals. Canisius has now won its last six over the Saints with the victory.
• Canisius improved to 17-0 on the season when leading after eight innings. During Matt Mazurek's tenure as head coach, the Griffs are 69-7 in such situations.
• With three home runs Friday, Canisius has 36 round-trippers, ranking as the eighth-most in a season. The 36 homers are the most by the Griffs since 2018 (38).
• Duffy's 10 strikeouts increased his season total to 90, which ranks as the third-most by a Canisius hurler in a season. He surpassed Joe Mamott (85 in 1994) with his last of three strikeouts in the third inning. He is now three punchouts away from tying No. 2 J.P. Stevenson (93 in 2018) and nine away from matching Mark West's program-record 99 strikeouts in 2000.
• DeStefano's inside-the-park home run was his second of the year and the team's third overall, as Mike Steffan has the other. It is the first inside-the-park home run away from the Demske Sports Complex since Jacob Victor on May 17, 2019, at Niagara.
• Dick was hit by three pitches in the contest, becoming the first Griff to be plunked three times in a game since Jake Burlingame against Charlotte on Feb. 25, 2019.
• As a team, Canisius was hit by five pitches, the program's most since being hit by seven pitches against Charlotte on Feb. 25, 2019.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius and Siena continue its three-game series Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch from Connors Park in Loudonville. Game action will be broadcast on SienaSaints.com through Siena All-Access.
 
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