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Canisius University Athletics

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Mason Cisco stands in the batters box at Niagara - April 11, 2026
Lindy Feider
4
Canisius CANISIUS 10-17
6
Winner Niagara NIAGARA 12-15
Canisius CANISIUS
10-17
4
Final
6
Niagara NIAGARA
12-15
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Canisius CANISIUS 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 13 2
Niagara NIAGARA 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 X 6 12 1

W: Jack Dickinson (1-1) L: Elkovitch, Weston (1-1) S: Nate Bennett (1)

5
Canisius CANISIUS 10-18
6
Winner Niagara NIAGARA 13-15
Canisius CANISIUS
10-18
5
Final
6
Niagara NIAGARA
13-15
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Canisius CANISIUS 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 5 11 0
Niagara NIAGARA 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 X 6 8 0

W: Nathan Harb (2-0) L: Albano, Noah (0-2) S: Andrew Damiani (9)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Drops Doubleheader at Niagara

Rees Kozar went a combined 3-for-7 with four RBI, highlighted by a three-run homer, to help lead Niagara to a doubleheader sweep of Canisius in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference baseball action Saturday at Bobo Field in Lewiston, N.Y.
 
The Purple Eagles posted a 6-4 game one victory, followed by a 6-5 win in the nightcap to improve to 13-15 overall and 9-6 in the MAAC. The Griffs fell to 10-18 overall with a 7-8 conference record.
 
Junior Eric Weeks had a solid day at the plate for Canisius in Saturday's doubleheader, going a combined 5-for-7 with two RBI. Senior Mason Cisco also drove across three of the five Canisius runs in the series finale, going 2-for-4.
 
Kozar highlighted a Niagara lineup that also saw Nick Cote post a 3-for-4 performance in game one of the doubleheader with two runs driven in.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
Freshman Weston Elkovitch took the loss in game one of the doubleheader, throwing 1.1 innings of relief work, allowing two runs. Jack Dickinson was credited with the win for Niagara with one inning of relief, striking out two batters. Nate Bennett recorded the save, closing out the final two innings, while striking out three.
 
The Griffs opened the scoring in the top of the first as redshirt junior Thomas Zwirecki delivered a two-out RBI single down the left-field line to give Canisius a 1-0 lead.
 
Canisius extended its lead to 2-0 in the following frame as freshman Blake Herman delivered an RBI double to center that plated Weeks.
 
The Griffs continued to pad their cushion in the third, plating two more runs on a two-run double from sophomore Brayden Hy with two outs to give Canisius a 4-0 lead.
 
Niagara got on the board in the fifth as Matthew Ganschow scored on a throwing error to make it a 4-1 contest.
 
The Purple Eagles tied the game at 4-4 with three runs in the sixth as Kozar brought home the first run of the frame on a double to left while Jason Green plated the final two on a triple.
 
Niagara took its first lead of the game in the seventh inning, pushing across the final two runs of the contest. Nick Cote delivered the key hit with a two-run single to right, putting the Purple Eagles in front 6-4. The lead would stand the rest of the way as Niagara closed out the two-run win.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
Sophomore Noah Albano took the loss in the series finale after coming out of the pen, allowing one run in four innings of relief. Nathan Harb was credited with the win, pitching 2.2 innings of relief, allowing two hits while fanning five. Andrew Damiani picked up his conference-leading ninth save, retiring the game's final two batters.
 
Canisius struck first once again in the series finale with Weeks working a bases-loaded walk to give the Griffs the early lead.
 
The Purple Eagles were quick to respond in the bottom half of the frame, plating four runs on five hits. Noah Konings opened the scoring for Niagara with an RBI double to left while Kozar capped the frame with a three-run homer. 
 
Niagara extended its lead in the fourth when Jacob Brooks hit a ground-rule double to center that plated Noah Ganschow to extend the lead to four.
 
The Griffs answered back with three runs in the fifth on four hits. Weeks opened the scoring in the frame with a single up the middle for his second RBI of the day while Cisco followed with a two-run single down the left field line to make it a 5-4 ballgame.
 
Cisco tied the game in the top of the sixth on an RBI single, only to see the Purple Eagles respond in the bottom of the frame as they reclaimed the lead, 6-5, on an RBI single from Elijha Hammill.
 
Canisius threatened to tie the game in the top of the ninth with runners on the corners, but Damiani closed the door, picking up the save to close out the one-run win.
 
GAME NOTES
• Canisius and Niagara are now tied in the all-time series at 119-119-1.
• Junior JC Spinosa's 3-for-5 mark at the plate in game two marked his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
• Zwirecki picked up four hits in the doubleheader, increasing his season total to 26, ranking second on the team.
• Cisco's three RBIs in the series finale mark his fifth game this season with multiple runs driven in.
• Weeks' 3-for-3 performance in game one of the doubleheader marks the most hits in a single game in his collegiate career.
• Redshirt freshman Bennett Cox extended his hit streak to nine games with his two singles on Saturday.
• The Golden Griffins stranded 27 runners on base compared to 15 for the Purple Eagles over Saturday's doubleheader.
 
UP NEXT
The Griffs return to action on April 15 as the team hosts Bowling Green in a midweek non-conference clash.

First pitch between the Griffs and Falcons is slated for 3 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo. 
 
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