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Canisius softball celebrates at two-run home run by sophomore Ella Johel in the Griffs' 4-2 win over Rider at the Demske Sports Complex on April 4, 2025.
Lindy Feider
2
Rider RID 8-25, 2-6 MAAC
4
Winner Canisius CAN 13-15, 3-3 MAAC
Rider RID
8-25, 2-6 MAAC
2
Final
4
Canisius CAN
13-15, 3-3 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Rider RID 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 0
Canisius CAN 1 0 0 1 0 2 X 4 6 1

W: Manchester, Olivia (9-1) L: Groskritz, Anna-Mari (4-8)

1
Rider RID 8-26, 2-7 MAAC
2
Winner Canisius CAN 14-14, 4-3 MAAC
Rider RID
8-26, 2-7 MAAC
1
Final
2
Canisius CAN
14-14, 4-3 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rider RID 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 2
Canisius CAN 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 5 0

W: Kover, Toria (2-6) L: Schmierer, Kathryn (2-11)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Gets Back in the Win Column With Two Victories Over Rider

The Canisius softball team ended a three-game losing skid on Friday with a pair of home wins over Rider in MAAC action at the Demske Sports Complex. The Golden Griffins (14-15, 4-3 MAAC) scored a 4-2 win in the first game before coming back to defeat the Broncs 2-1 in nine innings to earn the sweep in the league doubleheader.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Canisius sophomore Ella Johel went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer and three RBI to help lead the Griffs to the 4-2 win over Rider (8-26, 2-7 MAAC) in the first game of the league twinbill. After freshman Tabitha von Kolen led off the home-half of the first with a triple, Johel pushed her across the plate with an infield single to give the Griffs an early 1-0 lead after one inning of play.
 
In the second, Rider answered and took a 2-1 lead thanks to an RBI-double to the wall in left center off the bat of Kendall Reda-Fehsal, which knocked in teammates Abby Cruz and Olivia Burroughs. Rider threatened to score more runs in the second, but with two outs and runners on the corners, Canisius pitcher Olivia Manchester recorded one of her seven strikeouts on the day to end the frame.
 
Rider held the 2-1 lead until the fourth when Johel, who started the inning off with a base hit, came around to score on a double to left by senior Emily Ilano. In the sixth, Johel put the Blue and Gold in the lead for good with a two-run homer, her fifth of the season, to make the score 4-2 in favor of the home team.
 
In the seventh, Burroughs reached base with two outs after she was hit-by-pitch, by Manchester buckled down and got pinch-hitter Kayley York to pop-up to short to close out the game. Manchester was awarded her team-leading ninth win of the season in the circle after she allowed two runs on nine hits to go with her seven strikeouts. Rider ended the first game of the day by leaving 10 batters on base.
 
Rider pitcher Anna-Marie Groskritz took the loss for the Broncs after she gave up four runs on six hits while striking out five. von Kolen had two hits and scored twice in the victory for Canisius, as three of the team's six hits in the game were for extra bases.  
 
GAME TWO RECAP
With the score tied 1-1 with one out in the ninth inning, an error by Rider's Shea Johnson allowed pinch-runner Bella Martin to score from second base, as the Griffs came back from a 1-0 deficit late to earn the 2-1 victory in extra innings.
 
Rider took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the top-half of the fifth thanks to an RBI ground out by Reda-Fehsal. The Broncs held that lead until the bottom of the seventh when senior Rosie Gomez led off the frame with her fifth homer of the season to knot the game at 1-1. In the eighth, Canisius had two runners on with two outs, but Rider pitcher Kathryn Schmierer got out of a jam by getting Johel to pop-up to shortstop to end the Griffs' threat.
 
In the ninth, Rider had the potential go-ahead run at third base with two down, but Canisius starter Toria Kover got Burroughs out with a pop-up in foul territory behind the plate. Gomez started the game-winning rally for the Griffs in the ninth by drawing a four-pitch walk, and then was lifted for Martin, who came on to pinch run. After Ilano popped out to second for the first out of the inning, junior Bailey Alatorre roped a base hit back up the middle. That ball went under Johnson's glove in center and rolled all the way to the fence, allowing Martin to easily score the game-winning run.
   
Kover earned her second win of the season in the circle after she went the distance and allowed just one run on four hits while fanning five and walking two. Schmierer took the tough-luck loss for Rider, as she allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits to go with a walk and four strikeouts.
 
Gomez's homer in the game two win was the only extra-base hit for Canisius in the day's second game. Senior Alyssa Cloutier went 1-for-3 in the win for the Blue and Gold and recorded her team-leading 16th stolen base on the year.
 
GAME NOTES
• Canisius leads the all-time series with Rider by a 44-21 count. The Griffs have won three straight and nine of the last 15 meetings between the two schools, dating back to 2021.
• The extra-inning win in game two for Canisius serves as the Griffs' first extra-inning victory this season.
• Canisius, which is 5-0 at home this season, improved to 16-4 in its last 20 home games, dating back to the 2023 campaign.
• The Griffs are 3-1 this season in one-run games.
• Johel has now recorded multiple RBI in seven games this season. Her three-hit effort in the game one victory gives her a team-best 14 multi-hit games on the year.
• Manchester is the first Canisius pitcher other than former Griff Megan Giese to win nine-or more games in a season since Madi Weathers had nine wins during in 2017.
• Gomez became just the third player in school history to hit 20-or more career homers with her solo shot in game two.
• All three of Martin's runs scored this season have come in Canisius victories.
• Friday marked the second career complete game for Kover, and she recorded a new career-high by pitching nine innings.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius and Rider will close out the three-game MAAC series on Saturday with a single game at the Demske Sports Complex. Game time is set for noon, and the contest will be broadcast live on the Golden Griffin Broadcast Network through GoGriffs.com.
 
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