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Canisius University Athletics

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Kenny Dodson swings against Liberty during the 2022 season
Liberty Athletics
9
Winner Canisius CAN 20-18
2
Siena SIE 9-29
Winner
Canisius CAN
20-18
9
Final
2
Siena SIE
9-29
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Canisius CAN 0 5 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 9 9 0
Siena SIE 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 5 3

W: Yankowski, David (3-2) L: Ben Seiler (2-5)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Dodson, Grant Lead Baseball to Win Over Siena

Junior Kenny Dodson and sophomore Max Grant logged three-hit performances to lead Canisius to a 9-2 victory over Siena in MAAC baseball action Saturday afternoon at Connors Park in Loudonville, N.Y.
 
Dodson hit his first collegiate home run, going 3-for-3 and driving in a pair of runs. Grant, who recorded his 100th collegiate base hit in the contest, went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
 
Senior David Yankowski earned the victory for Canisius (20-18, 10-4) after pitching four innings of relief. He allowed one run while scattering five hits in his outing. The right-hander issued one walk and struck out five batters, matching his career high.
 
Fellow senior Brett Kochanski earned the start for the Griffs, allowing just one run without giving up a hit. He walked two and also fanned five.

Senior Alec Ritzenthaler retired all six Siena batters he faced to solidify the victory for the Blue and Gold.
 
Siena's Ben Seiler was the losing pitcher for the Saints (9-29, 6-8), surrendering seven runs (two earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out six.
 
GAME RECAP
Siena took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Brett Young, the Saints' leadoff hitter, was hit by the first pitch of the contest. Young later scored after a walk and a pair of wild pitches. Following the walk, Kochanski settled down and struck out the next three Siena batters.
 
Canisius responded with five unearned runs in the second inning to take a 5-1 advantage. A pair of fielding errors by Siena's second baseman prolonged the frame. Two runs scored on the second error, allowing senior Kyle Kush to reach safely. Graduate student Jake Zurat singled home two runs before an RBI single by Grant put the Griffs ahead by four.
 
Yankowski escaped a jam in the fourth after replacing Kochanski. The right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters but used a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to prevent Siena from scoring.
 
Dodson and Grant hit two-run home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, to put the Griffs up 9-2 in the sixth.
 
Siena's second run came on an RBI-single by Bryce Mordecki in the fifth.
 
Over the final four innings, Yankowski and Ritzenthaler combined to retire 11 of Siena's final 13 batters. The two batters who reached base came on a sixth-inning single and a walk in the seventh.
 
Head Coach Matt Mazurek's Postgame Comments
"Today we played well and found a way on the mound to put together a great outing. Brett, Dave and Ritz were all locked in for us and did a good job managing their outings to minimize opportunities and control the zone.
 
"Kenny Dodson was another spark plug for us. He has a role for us, embraces it and can do a little bit of everything for us, which makes him a threat.

"Max Grant continues to find a way offensively to do big things. When he is locked, he is tough to beat. One hundred hits with a shortened 2021 season and where we are this year is a great accomplishment for a young hitter. It shows great maturity and a strong work ethic. He has earned that accomplishment. 
 
"Our work is not done. We need to show up tomorrow ready to go."
 
GAME NOTES
• Saturday marked the 137th meeting between the two Empire State rivals. Canisius has now won its last seven over the Saints with the victory.
• The victory was Canisius' 10th MAAC win of the season. Canisius has won at least 10 conference games in each of the last 15 seasons.
• Canisius concluded the 17-game slate in April with a .321 batting average. Of the 202 hits by the Griffs, 74 went for extra bases (42 doubles, seven triples, 25 home runs).
• With the two home runs Saturday, Canisius now has 38 home runs this season, which is tied for the sixth-most in a single season.
• The Griffs struck out 11 batters Saturday, increasing its season total to 356, which ranks seventh in program history.
• Grant recorded his seventh multi-hit performance in his last nine games, in which he is batting .511 (23-of-45) with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 22 RBI.
• Dodson's three hits marked his first career three-hit game and his seventh multi-hit performance.
• Kochanski made his third career start and his first since April 30, 2019, against Niagara at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls.
• Yankowski's five strikeouts matched his career high and were his most since a five-strikeout effort against UMass Lowell on Feb. 14, 2020.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius looks for the series sweep over Siena on Sunday at Connors Park. First pitch between the Golden Griffins and Saints is slated for noon in Loudonville. Game action will be broadcast on SienaSaints.com through Siena All-Access.
 
For complete coverage of Canisius baseball, please follow @GriffsBaseball on Instagram and Twitter.
 
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