STAFF REPORTS
news@allwnynews.com
The Canisius Golden Griffins softball team will start MAAC play on Sunday when the team plays at Iona in New Rochelle, New York. The Griffs will also travel to play Fairfield on the first weekend of league action. Those two games will be played Monday in Fairfield, Conn.
After playing host to a non-league twinbill against on Wednesday, Canisius goes back on the road for its next four games, starting at Iona on Sunday. The Golden Griffins are 12-17 on the year after splitting the doubleheader with Buffalo on Wednesday. Canisius’ last five games have all been decided by one run. Canisius junior pitcher Erika Mackie earned her fifth win of the season in Canisius’ 4-3 victory over Buffalo. She is tied for the team lead in wins with fellow junior hurler Madi Weathers. In the win over the Bulls, a win that snapped Canisius’ four-game losing skid, junior Moriah Harris had three hits to lead the way for the Blue and Gold. It was the second three-hit effort of the season for the team’s primary first baseman. Freshman Sue Vi had two hits in that victory as well, her first career multi-hit game. She also drove in her first career RBI in the winning effort. Senior Samantha Sharkey starts the weekend riding a four-game hitting streak, the longest active streak of its kind among Canisius players.
Canisius starts its 27th season of MAAC play this weekend with an all-time record of 358-136 (.720 win percentage) in MAAC regular-season games. Last year, Canisius went 13-7 in MAAC play. The 13 wins secured the program’s 23rd MAAC Championship tournament appearance, the most of any team in the league.
The Gaels are 10-12 on the season after falling at home to Army West Point 3-0 on March 28. Iona is led by Kristen Turner, who is hitting .392 with six doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI. Alana Evans leads the Gaels’ pitching staff with her five wins in the circle this season. The Gaels have a team ERA of 5.93.
The Stags are 7-16 this season after beating Sacred Heart on the road March 30 by a score of 2-1. As a team, Fairfield is hitting .277, and the team has been out scored by a 136-80 count for the year. Destinee Pallotto has a team-high five wins in 10 appearances in the circle. She’s thrown seven complete-games as well.
Sunday will mark the 56th and 57th all-time meeting between Canisius and Iona in softball. The Griffs are 39-16 all-time against the Gaels. In 2016, Canisius swept Iona in two games in Buffalo, with the Blue and Gold scoring wins by the score of 14-6 in five innings and 12-4 in the nightcap. Canisius and Fairfield have met 72 times previosuly, with the Griffs holding a 38-32 lead in the all-time series. Last season, the team split the regular-season series, but Canisius ended up winning the rubber match – a 1-0, eight inning victory in the MAAC Championship.
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