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Canisius University Athletics

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Ella Johel bats against Saint Bonaventure on 3/20/25
Jarrett Abelson
11
Winner Ohio OHIO 6-1
3
Canisius CAN 0-1
Winner
Ohio OHIO
6-1
11
Final
3
Canisius CAN
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Ohio OHIO 0 5 1 5 0 11 9 1
Canisius CAN 2 1 0 0 0 3 7 1

W: Moore, Keegan (3-0) L: Obenrader, Mikaila (0-1)

3
Winner Canisius CAN 1-1
2
Middle Tenn. MTSU 1-5
Winner
Canisius CAN
1-1
3
Final
2
Middle Tenn. MTSU
1-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Canisius CAN 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 6 1
Middle Tenn. MTSU 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 6 1

W: Manchester, Olivia (1-0) L: Hildreth, Elle (0-1) S: Bodewes, Brooke (1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Three Solo Homers Lead Softball to First Win of 2026

Three solo home runs - one in the second, one in the third and one in the fourth - proved to be the difference, as the Canisius softball team recorded a 3-2 win over Middle Tennessee in the second game of the 2026 Chattanooga Challenge, Friday afternoon in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
The Golden Griffins' first victory of the season also serves as the first career head coaching win for Joe Gierlak, who was named the third head coach in school history on June 30, 2025.
 
Canisius started the 2026 campaign with an 11-3 loss to Ohio University in five innings. The win improved the Bobcats to 5-1 on the year.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Canisius jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first after senior Bailey Alatorre ripped an RBI-double to straight-away center field, allowing teammates Mia Martin and Ella Johel to score. Later in the frame, Alatorre would advance to third on a wild pitch, but Ohio starting pitcher Keegan Moore was able to get two ground-ball outs to end any further damage.
 
In the top-half of the second, Ohio scored five times to take a 5-2 lead over the Griffs. In the bottom of the second, Canisius trimmed the Bobcats' lead to 5-3 thanks to a sac-fly off the bat of Johel, which allowed junior Alyssa Onyeagwa to score from third. That would be the Griffs' final run in their season-opener, however, as Ohio University regained a three-run lead with a run in the third before scoring five times in the fourth to secure the mercy-rule victory.
 
Junior Mia Martin went 3-for-3 with a run scored in her Canisius debut in the loss, as the Griffs posted seven hits off Moore, who moved to 3-0 on the year with the win in the circle for Ohio. Canisius starter Mikaila Obenrader took the loss for Canisius after she allowed five runs, all earned, on four hits to go with three walks and a strikeout in 1.2 innings of work.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
A solo homer by Onyeagwa in the second, a solo shot by Johel in the third and a homer by Grace Walker in the fourth, coupled with four strong innings in the circle from starting pitcher Olivia Manchester proved to be the difference, as the Griffs scored a 3-2 victory over Middle Tennessee (1-5) in the second game of the Chattanooga Classic.
 
Onyeagwea's first home run as a Griff to lead off the top-half of the second put Canisius ahead 1-0, and Johel's longball to start the third put the Blue and Gold up 2-0. In the fourth, Walker's solo shot to the gap in left center with one down made the score 3-0 in favor of the Blue and Gold.
 
In the home-half of the fifth, a solo homer by Middle Tennessee's Lexi Medlock put the Blue Raiders on the board, and Middle Tennessee trimmed Canisius' lead to 3-2 moments later on a Canisius throwing error. Middle Tennessee kept the pressure on the Griffs in the fifth with two runners on and just one out, but freshman catcher Michaela Sycalik helped get the Blue and Gold out of a jam by throwing out two would-be base stealers to end the frame.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Middle Tennessee put its first two hitters of the inning on base, which forced Canisius to bring in freshman pitcher Brooke Bodewes. From there, Bodewes retired the next three batters she faced to end the threat in the sixth, and in the seventh, she retired the Blue Raiders in order to secure the first victory of the season for the Griffs.
 
Canisius had six hits in the game two victory, as both Johel and Walker had two hits apiece in the win. Manchester picked up the victory in the circle after she allowed two runs on five hits to go with five strikeouts and a walk in 4.0 innings of work. Freshman Mia Preuhs made her collegiate debut and pitched a scoreless inning of relief before making way for Bodewes, who retired all six batter she faced en route to a save.
 
GAME NOTES
• Canisius scored a win on opening day for the second-straight season and for the third time in the last four years.
• The three home runs in the game two victory are the most for the Griffs since the team had four homers at Niagara on April 18, 2025.
• Johel's two hits in the second game gives her multiple hits in six of her last eight contests, dating back to last season.
• Mia Martin is the first Griff with three-or more hits in the season-opener since Megan Giese had three hits against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 17, 2023.
• Bodewes is the first Canisius pitcher in program history to earn a save in her first career appearance.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius will play a pair of game on the second day of the Chattanooga Challenge on Saturday, starting at noon when the Griffs play Bellarmine. Canisius is also scheduled to play the host Chattanooga Mocs at 5:30 p.m.
 
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