Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Canisius University Athletics

#Griffs The Official Home of the Canisius University Golden Griffins | #Griffs
Dylan Vincent awaits for a pitch during the 2022 season
Ken Morey
6
Winner Niagara University NIA 14-27, 9-8 MAAC
2
Canisius CAN 21-20, 11-6 MAAC
Winner
Niagara University NIA
14-27, 9-8 MAAC
6
Final
2
Canisius CAN
21-20, 11-6 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Niagara University NIA 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 6 12 0
Canisius CAN 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 2

W: Cashman, Marcus (2-3) L: Peltier, Tom (1-2) S: Cameron, Zach (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Pitching, Offense Lead Niagara to Victory Over Baseball

Niagara's pitching trio of Marcus Cashman, Jacob Bruning and Zach Cameron limited Canisius to just two runs and three hits, lifting the Purple Eagles to a 6-2 victory over the Golden Griffins at the Demske Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon in MAAC baseball action.
 
Cashman, who earned the victory, allowed all three hits surrendered by the Purple Eagles over his six-inning outing. In the final three innings, Bruning and Cameron combined to give up one run while walking three and striking out four in relief.
 
Benny Serrano led Niagara offensively, going 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, a double and a triple. Josh Marchese went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Purple Eagles (14-27, 9-8), who have won their last seven MAAC contests.
 
Junior Tom Peltier was the losing pitcher for Canisius (21-20, 11-6). Peltier scattered seven hits over 5.1 innings, allowing two runs, walking one and striking out four.
 
Senior Brett Kochanski tied his career high for strikeouts (6) in 3.1 innings. He allowed five hits and four runs, with only one being earned.
 
Sophomore Max Grant, senior Dylan Vincent and graduate student Mike Steffan recorded the three hits for the Griffs.
 
GAME RECAP
After Peltier retired the first two Niagara batters, the Purple Eagles had their next three batters reach base safely. Max Giordano opened the scoring with an RBI single up the middle, putting Niagara ahead 1-0.
 
Vincent prevented Niagara from going ahead 2-0 in the second with an on-the-fly throw from right field, preventing Spencer Marcus from scoring. The Purple Eagles increased their lead to 2-0 later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Dawson Bailey.
 
Sophomore Carlin Dick drew a four-pitch walk and senior Trevor Henneman was hit by a pitch to open the third. Cashman held Canisius' offense in check by getting a strikeout and an inning-ending double play.
 
Vincent closed out the fourth with his second outfield assist of the day, thwarting Serrano from scoring and keeping the score at 2-0.
 
Canisius trimmed the Purple Eagles' lead in the fourth, 2-1, on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Vincent.
 
A Canisius fielding error with two outs in the seventh extended the frame for Niagara, leading to a two-run single by Marchese that gave the Purple Eagles a 4-1 lead.
 
Redshirt freshman Josh Niles was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in a pinch-hit situation in the seventh, trimming Niagara's advantage to 4-2.
 
Niagara's lead was increased to 5-2 in the eighth on a groundout by Cole O'Connor. Steffan touched first base before throwing home to try and get Serrano out. Serrano initially retreated to third base but sprinted towards home plate. The tag was not applied to the runner in time, leading to the run.
 
After Serrano's two-out double in the ninth, Brady Desjardins added an infield RBI single to add an insurance marker for the Purple Eagles.
 
Head Coach Matt Mazurek's Postgame Comments
"We didn't deserve to win today. We didn't handle the baseball or compete at the plate when it mattered most. When you don't do that, your chances of winning are low."
 
GAME NOTES
• Saturday marked the 223rd all-time meeting between the "Battle of the Bridge" rivals. Canisius is now 115-108 over Niagara with the setback. Niagara has won five of the last six overall games in the series.
• Canisius struck out 10 batters on Saturday, increasing its season total to 384, which is the fifth-most in a single season. The total is the most by a Canisius pitching staff since striking out 434 batters in 2018.
• Kochanski's six strikeouts were the most by the right-handed pitcher since a six-strikeout outing at Monmouth on May 15, 2021.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius and Niagara conclude its three-game series at the Demske Sports Complex on Sunday with an 11 a.m. first pitch. Game action will be broadcast on ESPN3.
 
For complete coverage of Canisius baseball, please follow @GriffsBaseball on Instagram and Twitter.
 
Print Friendly Version