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Canisius University Athletics

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Gianna Fazzolari at bat in the 2024 MAAC Softball Championship in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on May 9, 2024
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
8
Winner Siena SIENA 32-20
4
Canisius CANISIUS 22-21
Winner
Siena SIENA
32-20
8
Final
4
Canisius CANISIUS
22-21
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Siena SIENA 2 1 5 0 0 0 0 8 9 0
Canisius CANISIUS 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 10 2

W: Eimont (19-8) L: Giese, Megan (17-10)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Falls into Elimination Bracket with Loss to Siena

The sixth-seeded Siena Saints scored eight runs through the game's first three innings en route to an 8-4 victory over third-seeded Canisius in the 2024 MAAC Softball Championship winner's bracket final on Friday morning at Gartland Park in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
 
With the loss, Canisius (22-21) fell into the tournament's elimination round, where the Golden Griffins will meet with either top-seed Marist or second-seeded Niagara in the elimination round final game, scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m. Siena (32-20) advanced to the championship round of the conference's postseason tournament with the win, moving the Saints one win away from securing the league's automatic berth into next weekend's NCAA Division I Softball Championship.
 
GAME RECAP
Siena got on the scoreboard in the top half of the first inning thanks to a two-out, two-run homer off the bat of Emma Peterson. In the second, Siena increased its lead to 3-0 after Mackenzie Swinson hit a solo homer over the fence in center field. The Saints, who entered the game having won eight straight games, took advantage of two Canisius errors in the top of the third to stretch their lead to 8-0.
 
Facing the mercy-rule ending, Canisius kept fighting and loaded the bases with three consecutive base hits in the home half of the fifth. Senior Gianna Fazzolari kept the game alive for the Blue and Gold with a grand slam home run off Siena starting pitcher Alissa Elmont, making the score 8-4 in favor of the Saints.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Griffs loaded the bases with one out, but Elmont was able to keep the Griffs off the scoreboard, as she induced a pop-up behind the plate and a fly-ball out to end the ball game.
 
Elmont earned her MAAC-leading 19th win of the season in the circle after she went the distance and allowed four runs on 10 hits to go with three strikeouts and four walks. Canisius senior Christie McGee-Ross had three hits and scored a run for the Blue and Gold in the losing effort, while junior Alyssa Cloutier and sophomore Madysen Burkey each had multi-hit games as well.
 
The grand slam home run by Fazzolari not only marked her team-leading 11th long ball of the season, but the four runs batted in allowed the program's career home run leader to also take over control of the school's career RBI record as well.
 
Canisius senior Megan Giese took the loss in the circle for the Griffs after she allowed seven runs on five hits in 2.0 innings of work. Freshman Olivia Manchester came on in relief and threw the game's final 5.0 innings for the Griffs, where she allowed an unearned run on four hits to go with a strikeout and a walk.  
 
GAME NOTES
• Friday marked just the second time Canisius and Siena have met in the MAAC Softball Championship. The only other meeting was in the 2022 MAAC Championship game, which Canisius won 4-0 to secure the program's 13th MAAC title.
• With her four RBI on Friday morning, Fazzolari passed former Griff Meg Thompson for the program's career RBI record. Thompson drove in 144 runs during her career from 1988-91. Fazzolari has driven in 145 runs in her 171 career games played.
• The grand slam for Fazzolari was the second of her career, and it she tied the program's single-season home run record at 11.
• McGee-Ross' three-hit game gives her four multi-hit contests in MAAC Tournament play for her career.
• McGee-Ross has scored a run in nine-straight games.
• Junior Rosie Gomez extended her hitting streak to six straight with a base hit with a base hit in the seventh inning.
 
UP NEXT
The fourth-seeded Griffs will take Niagara in the elimination round final later today, with game time scheduled for 5:02 p.m. That game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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