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Canisius University Athletics

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Ella Johel claps after reaching base in a home win over Sacred Heart on May 2, 2025.
Lindy Feider
2
Sacred Heart SHU 21-25, 11-12 MAAC
3
Winner Canisius CAN 24-24, 14-10 MAAC
Sacred Heart SHU
21-25, 11-12 MAAC
2
Final
3
Canisius CAN
24-24, 14-10 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Sacred Heart SHU 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 0
Canisius CAN 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 6 1

W: Manchester, Olivia (16-5) L: Kowalski, Sam (12-14)

0
Sacred Heart SHU 21-26, 11-13 MAAC
8
Winner Canisius CAN 25-24, 15-10 MAAC
Sacred Heart SHU
21-26, 11-13 MAAC
0
Final
8
Canisius CAN
25-24, 15-10 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Sacred Heart SHU 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2
Canisius CAN 1 2 0 0 5 8 7 0

W: Herrington, Liv (2-6) L: Sweet, Carah (4-3)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Scores Two Walk-Off Wins Over Sacred Heart

Canisius extended its win streak to four straight with a pair of walk-off wins over Sacred Heart in a MAAC softball doubleheader Friday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex. In the first game, sophomore Ella Johel's double with two outs in the seventh lifted the Golden Griffins to a 3-2 comeback victory, and in the second game, freshman Vivi Vargas' double down the line in the home-half of the fifth knocked in a pair of runs to give the Blue and Gold an 8-0 win in five innings.
 
With the wins, Canisius improved to 25-25 overall and 15-10 in MAAC play, while Sacred Heart fell to 21-26 overall and 11-13 in league games.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Canisius was down to its final strike before freshman Cara Edward drew a walk to load the bases and extend the frame for the Griffs. Johel followed Edwards, and after she took two pitches from Sacred Heart starter Sam Kowalski, she lined a ball off the base of the fence in the gap in right centerfield, allowing senior Alyssa Cloutier and pinch-runner Gabi Farris to score, capping the come-from-behind victory. Johel drove in all three of the Griffs' runs in the victory after she went 2-for-4 with the game-winning double and her team-leading eighth triple of the season.
 
Sacred Heart took an early 1-0 lead in the first after Kowalski scored on a Canisius throwing error. The Griffs knotted the game at 1-1 in the second thanks to Johel's triple, which allowed Edwards to score from first base. The score remained knotted at 1-1 until the fifth, when Kowalski helped her own cause with a triple to the gap in right center which pushed teammate Kaelyn Freed across the plate to give the Pioneers the one-run lead.
 
Canisius sophomore pitcher Olivia Manchester earned her 16th win in the circle after she allowed those two runs (one earned) on six hits to go with four strikeouts. Kowalski was the tough-luck loser and fell to 12-14 on the season after she gave up three runs and six hits while walking seven and striking out seven.
 
Junior Bailey Alatorre went 1-for-1 with a double and two walks in the win for Canisius, which improved to 8-4 on the year in one-run games. Edwards went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored, while Vargas drew two base on balls in the victory.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Canisius scored three runs in the game's first two innings and then scored five times in the home-half of the fifth to record the 8-0 mercy-rule win over Sacred Heart in the second game of the league doubleheader. Canisius pounded out seven hits in the nightcap win, with four of those hits coming in the fifth.
 
Canisius freshman Tabitha von Kolen got the second game started with a bunt base hit and then raced all the way to third base on a throwing error by Sacred Heart. Von Kolen scored the game's first run moments later on an RBI-ground out by Cloutier. In the second inning, Canisius tacked on a pair of runs after both Vargas and Cloutier drew walks with the bases loaded to make the score 3-0 in favor of the home team.
 
In the fifth, Johel hit her second triple of the day and her ninth of the season off the fence in left center, which allowed Rebecca Hai and Edwards to score to put the Griffs up 5-0. An RBI-single by senior Emily Ilano pushed Johel across the dish to make it a 6-0 game, and then Vargas sent everyone home early with a double down the leftfield line, which allowed Ilano and senior Morgan Cook to score to end the ball game.
 
Canisius sophomore Liv Herrington earned the complete-game win for the Griffs after she threw a five-hit shutout for her second victory of the season. Sacred Heart starter Carah Sweet took the loss for the Pioneers after she allowed three runs on two hits while walking three in 1.1 innings of work.
 
Johel went 3-for-3 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBI in the nightcap for the Griffs, while Vargas went 1-for-2 with a double and three runs batted in. Cloutier drove in two runs as well for Canisius, which posted its sixth mercy-rule win in MAAC play this season.
 
GAME NOTES
• Friday marked the first MAAC games between Canisius and Sacred Heart. The Pioneers joined the league on July 1, 2024.
• Canisius now leads the all-time series over Sacred Heart by a 3-0 count. The two teams met previously just once, back on March 21, 2003 at the UMBC Spring Classic in Baltimore, Md.
• The Griffs improved to 12-3 at home this year with the two wins. Nine of those 12 wins have come in league play.
• The comeback victory for the Griffs in game one marked just the third time this season where Canisius won a game after trailing through six innings of play.
• Johel is now tied with former Griff and Canisius Hall of Famer Jody Tassone (1993-96) for the program's single-season triples record with nine. Tassone had nine three-base hits during the 1995 campaign.
• Johel leads the Griffs with 45 RBI this year, making her the seventh player in school history to record 45-or more runs batted in during the season. Of her 45 RBI this year, 22 have come with two outs.
• Senior Rosie Gomez extended her streak of reaching base safely to 15 games with a hit in game one and by earning a walk in game two.
• Manchester is just the eighth pitcher in program history to earn 16-or more wins in the circle in a season for the Griffs. She is the first Canisius pitcher not named Megan Giese to win 16-or more games in one year since Juliette Bowers won 20 games in 2008.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius and Sacred Heart will close out the three-game MAAC series on Saturday when the two squads meet at the Demske Sports Complex at noon. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. After the game, Canisius will honor its nine-member graduating Class of 2025 in its annual Senior Day ceremony.
 
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