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The Canisius baseball team recorded a Saturday split against George Mason, dropping the first contest 6-5 in the 10th inning and rebounding with a 4-2 win in the final game of the day. With the split Canisius is now 11-7 while George Mason finishes the day 7-12 overall.
Game #1: George Mason, 6 – Canisus, 5
The Griffs scored five unanswered runs after falling behind 5-0 after the third inning, but the Patriots foiled the comeback bid thanks to a walk-off sacrifice fly, as the Blue and Gold fell 6-5 in 10 innings.
George Mason got on the board in the first frame, as a one out double by Frank Sturek set the table, and a RBI single by Trevor Kelly, following a walk, plated the first run of the game. Logan Driscoll brought in the second run of the game, driving in Tyler Nelin, to make it 2-0, capping the scoring.
The Patriots added to their lead in the bottom of the third as Kelly struck again with a two-run dinger to make it 4-0.
Canisius broke through in the top of the sixth, as a one out, hit-by-pitch to William Krull got the rally started. Following Krull, came a single to third base by Jake Lumley and single by Ryan Stekl to load the bases.
Liam Wilson brought home the team’s first runs of the game with a single to right field, as Krull and Lumley came around to score. Christ Conley followed suit with a single to right field to score Stekl, capping the scoring in the frame.
Wilson brought the Griffs even closer with an RBI single in the top of the seventh, but George Mason, staved off the tying run in the inning.
Cyrus Senior tied things up in the top of the eighth, as he belted an RBI triple, to drive in Joseph Preziuso, pushing the score to 5-5. However the Patriots managed to cross the winning run in the bottom of the 10th to earn the win.
Zachary Sloan started the game and worked 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and five runs to go along with six strikeouts. Andrew Sipowicz was issued the hard-luck loss, working 2.2 innings and allowing just one hit and one run, as he fell to 1-1 on the year.
Wilson had a strong day at the plate powering the Griffs comeback, rapping out four hits and three RBI in the losing effort.
Game #2: Canisius, 4 – George Mason, 2
J.P. Stevenson pitched eight strong innings and the Griffs scored four runs in the seventh to rally for a 4-2 victory over the Patriots.
Stevenson improved to 4-1 on the year after hurling eight strong frames and allowing just six hits and two runs to go along with his six strikeouts. Tyler Smith came on for his third save of the year, as he worked the ninth and allowed one hit and one walk while striking out a pair.
It appeared the Griffs were headed for the wrong end of a sweep, trailing 2-0 headed into the top of the seventh, but the offense came alive.
Lumley doubled to right field to lead off the inning, before a Wilson hit by pitch, following a Ryan Stekl strikeout, put two aboard. A pair of fatal errors both on an attempted catch and a throw, brought in both Lumley and Stekl, and allowed William Krull to reach third, tying the game at 2-2.
Krull later scored on a passed ball, before a Tim Kensinger home run capped the four run rally.
Canisius had six different players notch hits, with Kensingers long ball going as the only RBI for the club.
The Griffs complete the weekend series on Sunday, as the squad takes on the Patriots at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning.
