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Canisius University Athletics

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Christie McGee-Ross eyes up home plate against Monmouth 3/21/21
Masfort Boima
2
Iona IONA 17-28
4
Winner Canisius CANISIUS 21-20
Iona IONA
17-28
2
Final
4
Canisius CANISIUS
21-20
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Iona IONA 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 8 1
Canisius CANISIUS 1 0 0 2 1 0 X 4 4 0

W: Giese, Megan (17-9) L: Rieb (13-11)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Scores MAAC Tournament Win Over Iona

The Canisius softball team used small ball in the fourth inning to score two runs, and a solo home run off the bat of senior Christie McGee-Ross in the fifth inning proved to be the difference, as the fourth-seeded Golden Griffins posted a 4-2 victory over fifth-seeded Iona on the first day of the 2024 MAAC Softball Championship Wednesday afternoon at Gartland Park in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
 
With the win, Canisius (21-20) advanced in the tournament's bracket to Thursday, where the Blue and Gold will meet top-seeded Marist at 12 p.m., in a rematch of the 2023 MAAC Championship game, that was played in Buffalo. Iona (18-28) fell into the tournament's elimination round, where the Gaels defeated Rider, 3-2, to stay alive in the tournament.
 
GAME RECAP
Canisius posted the game's first run on the board in the bottom of the first after junior Rosie Gomez lined a base hit to centerfield, allowing McGee-Ross to score from second. The Griffs added two more runs in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. In that frame, Gomez led off with a walk, and was replaced by pinch runner, Rebecca Hai. Moments later, senior Megan Giese dropped down a bunt-base hit, and Hai advanced to third after Iona starting pitcher Samantha Rieb threw the ball away. With runners at second and third and no one out, sophomore Morgan Cook dropped down a squeeze bunt which allowed Hai to score from third, putting the Griffs up 2-0. Moments later, junior Hannah Hagerman struck out on a ball in the dirt. Iona was forced to make that put out at first base, and upon the throw, pinch-runner Gabi Farris raced home and scored to give Canisius the 3-0 lead.
 
In the fifth, Canisius stretched its lead to 4-0 after McGee-Ross homered over the fence in left-center,  her fourth-straight game with a home run, dating back to April 28 when the Griffs played at Marist during the regular season.
 
Iona scored both of its runs in the top half of the seventh inning and had runners at second and third base with two outs, but Giese got Iona's Kaylin Flukey to pop up to shortstop to end the game. Giese picked up her 17th win of the season in the circle after she went the distance and gave up two runs on eight hits to go with three strikeouts and four walks. Rieb took the loss for the Gaels after she gave up four runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work. McGee-Ross led Canisius by going 2-for-3 with the solo homer, a double and two runs scored.
 
GAME NOTES
• Canisius and Iona met in the MAAC Softball Championship for the third-straight year. All-time, the Griffs and Gaels have met in the league's championship tournament 11 times, with Canisius holding an 8-3 record in those 11 contests.
• Wednesday's win stands as Canisius 58th all-time MAAC Softball Championship victory, and it was the 11th win in the postseason for head coach Kim Griffin.
• McGee-Ross' current stretch with a homer in four-straight games is the longest of her career. She has now reached base safely in 12-straight games.
• McGee-Ross' home run in Wednesday's game gives her a homer in three of the last four MAAC Softball Championship tournament games she has appeared in, dating back to last season.
• Hai has now scored four runs this season. Canisius has won all four of those games.
• Wednesday marked the eighth career MAAC Softball Championship start for Giese. She is 6-2 in those eight postseason starts.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will play top-seeded Marist Thursday at 12 p.m., in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on the second day of the 2024 MAAC Softball Championship. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
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