Canisius sophomore Morgan Cook went 2-for-3 with a double and a career-high five RBI and senior pitcher Megan Giese picked up her league-leading 14th win of the season in the circle as the Golden Griffins defeated Siena 8-1 in MAAC softball action Sunday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex.
The win, which improved Canisius to 17-15 overall and 12-5 in MAAC play, allowed the Griffs to secure the three-game series sweep of Siena, after the Blue and Gold took both games of a doubleheader played Saturday. The Saints fell to 26-16 overall and 7-7 in conference action with the loss.
GAME RECAP
Siena took an early 1-0 lead in the top-half of the second inning after Mikala Fletcher hit a solo homer off Giese. That would serve as the Saints' final hit until the top-half of the seventh, as Giese retired 15-straight batters before Chloe Cummings reached with a two-out single to right field in the team's final at-bat.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, Canisius scored four runs to take a 4-1 lead. In that frame, junior Rosie Gomez reached via a Siena error that allowed Christie McGee-Ross and Madysen Burkey to score, giving the home team a 2-1 lead. Moments later, junior Emily Ilano roped an RBI-double to left to the score 3-1, and then Cook followed with an RBI-single back up-the-middle to push Ilano across the dish to give Canisius the 4-1 advantage.
The Griffs put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth inning after Cook doubled and drove in three runs to make the score 7-1. In the sixth inning, Cook earned her fifth RBI of the day and made the score 8-1 after she drew a bases loaded walk from Siena reliever Nicole Patille. Cook is the third Canisius player to drive in five-or more runs in a game this season, joining McGee-Ross and Gianna Fazolarri, who have each recorded six RBI in a game this season.
Giese went the distance and picked up her third win of the weekend in the circle after she allowed just one run on three hits. She fanned seven and did not allow a walk on the day. Siena starter Alissa Eimont took the loss after she gave up four runs, one earned, on three hits in 2.2 innings of work.
GAME NOTES
• Canisius improved to 51-21 all-time against Siena. The win on Sunday extended the Griffs' win streak over Siena to four straight.
• Canisius has swept three MAAC series this season, as the team took three games from Saint Peter's and Siena and both games of a weather-shortened home series against Mount St. Mary's.
• The Griffs are now 8-0 at home this season. Canisius has won those eight games by a combined score of 60-17.
• The Griffs were hit-by-pitch five times on Sunday, a season high.
• Cook extended her hit streak to nine straight after recording two hits in the victory.
• Gomez has now reached base safely in 14-straight games.
• Giese, the MAAC's leader in strikeouts with 146, needs four more strikeouts to have 150-or more strikeouts to her credit in three-straight seasons.
UP NEXT
The Griffs will continue their six-game MAAC homestand on Tuesday when the team plays host to Manhattan. The first game of the MAAC doubleheader is set to start at 3 p.m.
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