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Canisius University Athletics

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Josh Niles at bat against Mount St. Mary's
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10
Winner Niagara University NIA 19-27, 14-26 MAAC
7
Canisius CAN 14-31, 10-19 MAAC
Winner
Niagara University NIA
19-27, 14-26 MAAC
10
Final
7
Canisius CAN
14-31, 10-19 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Niagara University NIA 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 1 10 10 2
Canisius CAN 1 2 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 7 10 3

W: Fink Carter (2-1) L: LoPinto, Joe (5-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Niagara Pulls Away Late to Defeat Baseball

Niagara plated three runs in its final two at-bats to break a 7-7 tie and defeat Canisius, 10-7, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference baseball action Saturday at the Demske Sports Complex.

Curtis McKay went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs to guide a Purple Eagles (19-27, 14-16 MAAC) lineup that left the yard five times in the contest. Rees Kozar, Jason Green and Nate Milk also hit home runs for the visitors while Jacob Brooks finished 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Carter Fink picked up for Niagara as he pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits and one walk. He struck out two.

Redshirt senior Josh Niles and senior Trent Rumley both went 2-for-4 with a home run for the Golden Griffins (14-31, 10-19 MAAC). Senior Tyler Hoover finished 1-for-3 with a solo home run while sophomore JC Spinosa tallied a pair of hits, including a triple.

Sophomore Joe LoPinto took the loss for Canisius, surrendering three runs on four hits in 2.2 innings of work. He struck out three.

With the score tied at 7-7 in the top of the eighth inning, Niagara used an RBI single from Evan Wilde and a run-scoring double from Tyler ViVacqua to grab a 9-7 lead.

McKay expanded the margin to three in the top of the ninth with a solo shot to left field for his second home run of the contest. Fink made sure the lead stood, retiring the Griffs in order in the bottom of the ninth to complete the weekend sweep for the Purple Eagles and secure the final spot in the 2025 MAAC Baseball Championship.

Earlier in the contest, Niagara jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first as Kozar scored on a Canisius error before Green connected on a two-run homer to center field.

The Griffs countered with a single run in the home half of the first when Spinosa scored on a throwing error by the Purple Eagles, only to see Milk stretch the lead back to three in the top of the second on a solo home run to left center.

A Niles solo home run and a Spinosa RBI single in the home half of the second pulled Canisius within one before Hoover tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot to right field.

The teams traded three-run outbursts in the seventh inning. Niagara pulled back in front, 7-4, in the top of the frame as Kozar connected on a two-run blast and Makay hit a solo home run to left field, only to see Canisius counter in its trip to the plate with a solo shot down the left-field line from Rumley and a pair of run-scoring hits from sophomore Justin Bremmer and Niles, setting the stage for the Purple Eagles late-game surge.

GAME NOTES
• Canisius and Niagara both recorded 10 hits in the contest, with the two teams combining for 12 extra-base hits.
• Canisius left seven runners on base while Niagara stranded six.
• The Griffs three home runs on Saturday marked the seventh time this season they have hit three-or-more homers in a contest this season.
• Niles' home run in the second inning was his 100th career base hit.
• Rumley's home run was his 10th of the season and the 13th of his career. He also finished the season on a 10-game hitting streak and a 15-game on-base streak.
• Redshirt sophomore Thomas Zwirecki reached safely in each of the final 19 games of the 2025 season.
 
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