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Canisius University Athletics

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JC Spinosa stands in the box against Merrimack - March 20, 2026
Lindy Feider
7
CANISIUS CAN(1)~1 5-16
15
Winner RIDER UNIVERSITY RIDER 14-7
CANISIUS CAN(1)~1
5-16
7
Final
15
RIDER UNIVERSITY RIDER
14-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
CANISIUS CAN(1)~1 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 7 10 2
RIDER UNIVERSITY RIDER 0 2 6 0 3 0 0 4 X 15 16 0

W: Aiello, C. (6-1) L: Rogers, Mark (2-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Drops Series Finale at Rider

Rider plated 15 runs on 16 hits as it cruised to a 15-7 victory over Canisius in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference baseball action Sunday at Sonny Pittaro Field in Lawrenceville, N.J.
 
The Broncs took the rubber match of the three-game set to secure the series win and improve to 14-7 overall and 10-2 in conference play. The Golden Griffins, meanwhile, dropped to 6-15 on the season with a 3-6 mark in conference play with Sunday's setback.
 
Matt Leahy was a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored, while Anthony Paskell picked up three hits to pace a potent Rider lineup. Christian Aiello recorded the win for Rider, allowing just one run and two hits in 3.1 innings of relief work.
 
Redshirt sophomore Tyson Kaufman was 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI in the loss. Freshman Mark Rogers was credited with the loss on the hill after 2.2 innings of work, allowing eight runs on eight hits.
 
The Griffs struck in the first inning, as Kaufman lifted a sacrifice fly to right. Redshirt junior Thomas Zwirecki followed with a solo shot to left, giving the Golden Griffins an early 2-0 lead.
 
The Broncs answered in the second, stringing together a pair of RBI singles from Austin Cannon and Leahy to even the score at two.
 
Kaufman put the Griffs back in front in the third with his second RBI of the day, recording an RBI single to left, putting Canisius back on top, 3-2.
 
The Rider offense responded in the bottom half of the third, plating six runs on seven hits to take control of the contest. Nick Shuhet got the action started with a two-run triple to right field, followed by two sacrifice flies and consecutive RBI singles that gave the Broncs an 8-3 lead.
 
The Golden Griffins cut into the deficit in the fifth as freshman Rocco Panepinto scored on a wild pitch. Later in the frame, redshirt freshman Bennett Cox plated a run on an RBI double to right to make it an 8-5 ballgame.
 
Rider extended its lead in the bottom half of the frame as Evan Hartmann lifted a three-run homer to right to extend the Broncs' margin to six.
 
The Griffs responded in the eighth, plating one run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Panepinto to cut the Rider lead to 11-6.
 
The Broncs added three more runs in the bottom half of the inning, with Leahy completing his five RBI day with a three-run double and later scoring on an error. The Griffs plated one run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Zwirecki, but Rider went on to secure the eight-run win.
 
GAME NOTES
• Canisius fell to 41-46 all-time in the series against Rider with Sunday's setback.
• Zwirecki's home run in the first was his team-leading third homer of the season and the 11th of his career.
• The Broncs outhit the Griffs in Sunday's contest by a 16-10 margin.
• Cox swiped his 10th bag of the season in the loss. This now improves him to a team-leading 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts this season.
• Kaufman finished the series a combined 6-for-11 to go along with three RBI and three runs scored.
• Rider stranded eight runners on base, compared to seven for Canisius.

UP NEXT
Canisius returns home for a non-conference matchup with Le Moyne on March 31. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y.

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