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Canisius University Athletics

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Sam Staerker game action on the mound against Merrimack - March 20, 2026
Lindy Feider
4
Winner Merrimack MERRIMAC 9-8
2
Canisius CANISIUS 3-13
Winner
Merrimack MERRIMAC
9-8
4
Final
2
Canisius CANISIUS
3-13
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Merrimack MERRIMAC 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 9 3
Canisius CANISIUS 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 1

W: Barker Colby (5-0) L: Morin, Felix (1-3) S: Yennaco Cole (5)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Drops Home Opener Against Merrimack

Matt DeShiro went 3-for-5 with two RBI to pace Merrimack in a 4-2 victory over Canisius in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference baseball action Friday at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y. 

The Warriors improved to 9-8 overall with a 4-2 mark in MAAC play with the win. The Golden Griffins fell to 3-13 and 0-4 in conference play with Friday's setback.
 
Matt DeShiro drove in the go-ahead run with a RBI single in the fourth before adding an insurance marker with a solo home run in the seventh to secure the series-opening victory for Merrimack. Colby Barker was credited with the win for the Warriors, hurling six shutout innings as he scattered three hits while striking out six. Cole Yennaco was credited with his fifth save of the season, closing the game out for Merrimack in the ninth.
 
Senior Owen Silliman was 2-for-2 at the plate while also working two walks for the Griffs. Fellow senior Felix Morin was credited with the loss, falling to 1-3 on the season after going 7.0 innings, giving up four runs and striking out six.
 
Merrimack struck in the first inning as Jayden Hamilton lifted a ball into left for a RBI ground-rule double to score the first run of the game.
 

Canisius knotted things up in the bottom half of the frame as redshirt freshman Bennett Cox picked up his sixth RBI of the season on a groundout to second to knot the score at 1-1.

Freshman Grady Brown stayed hot at the plate, recording an RBI single to right center to give the Griffs the 2-1 lead.
 
Merrimack battled back to take the lead with a pair of runs over the next two frames, working a bases-loaded walk in the third to tie the game before a run-scoring single from DeShiro gave the Warriors the 3-2 advantage.
 
DeShiro closed out the scoring with an insurance run in the seventh on a solo shot to right to put Merrimack up by two runs.
 
GAME NOTES
• Canisius falls to 2-3 in the all-time series against Merrimack with Friday's loss.
• Redshirt sophomore Justin Bremner picked up his second multi-hit game of the season, with two hits in back-to-back games.
• Silliman swiped two bags in the contest, improving his season total to six.
• The Canisius pitching staff tallied nine strikeouts, compared to seven for Merrimack.
• The Griffs and Warriors stranded six runners each in Friday's contest.
• Senior Sam Staerker did not allow a hit for the second straight contest, tallying three strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius continues its home-opening series against Merrimack on Saturday with a doubleheader set to begin at noon at the Demske Sports Complex.

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