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Megan Giese throws a pitch in the first inning of the 2024 MAAC Softball Championship in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on May 11, 2024
Stockton Photo, Inc.
7
Winner Siena SIENA 33-20
6
Canisius CANISIUS 23-22
Winner
Siena SIENA
33-20
7
Final
6
Canisius CANISIUS
23-22
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Siena SIENA 0 0 0 5 0 0 2 7 8 2
Canisius CANISIUS 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 6 9 3

W: Eimont (20-8) L: Giese, Megan (18-11)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Comes Up Short in MAAC Championship Game Loss to Siena

Siena's Micayla Fletcher's running catch in front of the warning track with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning ended Canisius' late rally, as the sixth-seeded Saints defeated the fourth-seeded Golden Griffins 7-6 in the 2024 MAAC Softball Championship Game Saturday afternoon at Gartland Park in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
 
With the win, Siena secured its first MAAC softball championship and earned the conference's automatic berth into next weekend's NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Canisius, which was appearing in its fourth-straight MAAC Championship game and 21st title game overall, sees its season end with a record of 23-21.
 
Canisius seniors Sydney Costan, Megan Giese and Christie McGee-Ross were named to the 2024 MAAC All-Tournament Team for their efforts in the Griffs' five games in this year's tournament. For Giese, this marks the second time in her career that she has been named to the MAAC All-Championship Team, while McGee-Ross becomes the first Canisius player to earn MAAC All-Championship Team honors on three occasions since former Griff and Canisius Hall of Famer Cameron Norton (2007, 2008, 2009).
 
GAME RECAP
Trailing 7-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Canisius scored twice to trim Siena's lead to 7-6 with two outs. The Griffs loaded the bases with no outs before Siena pitcher, and 2024 MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Player, Alyssa Eimont got two fly-ball outs. Junior Emily Ilano stepped into the box with two down and drove a 2-1 pitch into the gap in right-center for a double, pushing McGee-Ross and senior Gianna Fazzolari across the plate to make the score 7-6. The next batter into the box for the Griffs was Costan, who drove a ball to right field, but Fletcher tracked it down and made the game-saving running catch a step before the warning track to end the contest.
 
The Griffs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Rosie Gomez, and in the third inning, Gomez gave Canisius a 2-0 lead with an RBI-single to center that pushed junior Alyssa Cloutier across the dish.
 
In the fourth inning, Siena scored five runs on three hits and took advantage of two Canisius fielding errors to take a 5-2 lead. A two-run double by Siena's Bella Pardo put Siena ahead 3-1, and moments later, Pardo and Chloe Cummings scored on a fielder's choice and an ensuing throwing error to make the score 5-2 in favor of the Saints.
 
Trailing 5-2 in the sixth, Canisius cut the Saints' lead to 5-4 thanks to a two-run homer off the bat of Costan, her second home run in the last two games. With one out in that inning, sophomore Morgan Cook reached base after she was hit by a pitch, and after Eimont got an infield pop-up for the second out, Costan drove a pitch over the fence in left-center to keep the Griffs' hopes alive. However, Siena added two insurance runs in the top-half of the seventh on a pair of RBI-singles, including one by Pardo, which proved to be crucial in helping the Saints secure the win.
 
Eimont earned her MAAC-leading 20th win after she went the distance and allowed six runs, four earned, on nine hits to go with three strikeouts and a walk. Giese took the loss for the Blue and Gold after she went the distance and allowed seven runs, three earned, on eight hits to go with three strikeouts and seven walks. She ended the season with a record of 18-11.
 
Fazzolari, the program's career record holder in home runs and RBI, went 3-for-3 with a run scored while McGee-Ross had two hits and scored twice in her final career game as a Griff.
 
GAME NOTES
• Saturday was the third time Canisius and Siena met in the MAAC Softball Championship game. Each team has one win to its credit, as the Griffs defeated the Saints at the Demske Sports Complex in 2022.
• McGee-Ross ended her career as a Griff with 47 multi-hit games after she posted two base knocks in the losing effort on Saturday.
• Fazzolari closed out her career with a school-record 30 career home runs and 145 career RBI.
• Giese, a two-time MAAC Pitcher of the Year, ended her senior season with 188 strikeouts, which ranks fourth all-time in school history to Ks in a single-season. Her 653 career strikeouts ranks second in school history.
• The senior class of Costan, Fazzolari, Giese and McGee-Ross won 111 games, 69 of which came in MAAC regular-season play, two MAAC regular-season championships and appeared in the four MAAC title games.  
 
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