Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Canisius University Athletics

#Griffs The Official Home of the Canisius University Golden Griffins | #Griffs
Matt Duffy pitches against Marist during the 2022 season
Ken Morey
0
Monmouth MON 24-24, 12-9 MAAC
8
Winner Canisius CAN 24-23, 14-9 MAAC
Monmouth MON
24-24, 12-9 MAAC
0
Final
8
Canisius CAN
24-23, 14-9 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Monmouth MON 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
Canisius CAN 0 1 1 0 4 0 2 0 X 8 9 1

W: Duffy, Matt (6-2) L: Barker, Alex (1-4)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Duffy Sets Single-Season Strikeout Record as Baseball Clinches Playoff Spot

Sophomore Matt Duffy struck out 10 batters to set Canisius' single-season strikeout record in an 8-0 shutout of Monmouth, clinching a spot in the 2022 MAAC Baseball Championship.

Duffy, with his fifth strikeout of the day, surpassed Mark West for the program record for strikeouts in a season. West struck out 99 batters in 2000.

The sophomore right-handed pitcher became the ninth MAAC hurler to record 100 strikeouts in a season. Duffy is also the second MAAC pitcher this season to hit the century mark for punchouts, joined by Monmouth's Trey Dombroski (106).
 
Duffy, along with freshman Peyton Consigli, gave up a combined six hits in Friday's victory without issuing a free pass. Along with Duffy's 10 punchouts, the duo posted 14 strikeouts.
 
Offensively, graduate student Vinny Chiarenza was the lone Griff to register a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Along with Chiarenza, fellow graduate student Gibson Krzeminski, seniors Trevor Henneman and Kyle Kush and junior Mike DeStefano hit home runs for Canisius (24-23, 14-9).
 
Dixon Black led Monmouth (24-24, 12-9) offensively with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate.
 
Alex Barker was the losing pitcher after allowing five runs on four hits in four-plus innings pitched. He walked three and struck out six.
 
GAME RECAP
After allowing a one-out single in the first inning, Duffy settled into a groove, retiring eight of the next nine batters he faced. Six of the batters ended up striking out.
 
While Duffy was in the driver's seat, Krzeminski hit the first of Canisius' five home runs on the day in the second to put the Griffs ahead 1-0. Krzeminski hit a 3-1 pitch to the opposite field, clearing the fence in right field.
 
Henneman opened the third inning with a solo home run, depositing the first pitch he saw to left-center field.
 
The only time Duffy allowed multiple base runners came in the fourth after giving up a pair of one-out singles. With runners at the corners, he induced a ground ball and Krzeminski, who was playing at third base, threw home to get the lead runner out. Duffy then ended the frame with a strikeout.
 
Kush and DeStefano opened the home half of the fifth with back-to-back home runs, putting Canisius ahead 4-0. Chiarenza increased the lead to six with a two-run homer later in the inning.
 
Senior Dylan Vincent and graduate student Jake Zurat recorded RBI singles in the seventh to make it an 8-0 contest.
 
Consigli came in from the bullpen and was dominant, striking out four batters over his two-inning outing. He allowed just two baserunners, both of which came on base hits.
 
Head Coach Matt Mazurek's Postgame Comments
"Anytime you can clinch a playoff spot with a victory like that, it's a great day. Matt Duffy was amazing for us, breaking the single-season strikeout record. Our offense really showed up when they got in the box, got their pitches and drove them.
 
"If I knew what was going on that allowed [the offense] to have that success, I'd be lying. It just came down to them being more competitive in the box. When they got their pitches, they got their best swings off and found a way to drive the baseball. They have a lot of fun when guys hit a home run. That was part of our task list today. They knew what they needed to do and needed to have fun doing it.
 
"[Matt Duffy] had all of his pitches working for him. He was throwing them where he wanted to throw them. He was locating — something he hasn't done regularly in his last few outings. He was just sharp top to bottom. He put every pitch where he wanted and commanded both sides of the plate."
 
GAME NOTES
• Canisius, with the victory, secured a spot in the 2022 MAAC Baseball Championship. It will be the Griffs' 15th consecutive appearance in the conference tournament, the longest active streak of any MAAC school. 
• Thursday was the 23rd all-time meeting between Canisius and Monmouth. Canisius took a 12-11 advantage in the series with the shutout.
• Canisius hit five home runs Thursday, the most by the program since a five-home run outing against Buffalo on March 7, 2012. The five homers are tied with Fairfield (twice), Rider, Quinnipiac and Niagara for the most by a MAAC school in a game this year.
• With the five home runs, Canisius has hit 47 on the year, ranking as the fourth-most in program history.
• Kush and DeStefano's back-to-back home runs marked the first time the Griffs hit consecutive home runs since Jake Burlingame and Mike Steffan did so against Saint Peter's last year on May 12, 2021.
• The three homers hit in the fifth is the first time Canisius hit at least a trio of round-trippers in the same inning since hitting three at Fairfield on May 2, 2010.
• Canisius has five players with at least five home runs this season. It is the first time since 2010 that at least five Griffs have hit at least five home runs. That year, seven different players registered five-plus homers.
• Along with setting the single-season strikeout record, Duffy's 10 strikeouts marked the fourth time this year the sophomore has logged a double-digit punchout total.
• The 14 strikeouts increased the team's total to 437, now ranking as the second-most in program history. Canisius is just seven strikeouts away from matching the program record, initially set in 2015 (444).
 
UP NEXT
Canisius and Monmouth conclude their three-game series Friday at the Demske Sports Complex. First pitch is slated for noon and Senior Day festivities are scheduled to begin at approximately 11:40 a.m.
 
For complete coverage of Canisius baseball, please follow @GriffsBaseball on Instagram and Twitter.
 
Print Friendly Version