STAFF REPORTS
news@allwnynews.com
BUFFALO — The visiting Manhattan Jaspers scored a pair of wins over Canisius on Saturday, earning a 4-2 victory in the first game before coming back to post a 3-1 win in the second game of a MAAC twinbill at the Demske Sports Complex. The Jaspers, who have won 11 of their last 12, improved to 17-10 overall and 5-1 in league play with the sweep, while the Golden Griffins fell to 13-22 overall and 1-5 in conference action.
In the first game, Manhattan took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first on an RBI-single to right by sophomore Lauren Pitney, but the Griffs responded with a single run in the home-half of the first to knot the game at 1-1. In Canisius’ half of the first, sophomore Denver Keller earned an RBI after she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs. The score would remain tied at 1-1 until the fifth, when Manhattan scored a run to take a 2-1 lead.
The Jaspers went ahead 2-1 thanks to a solo homer run off the bat of senior Jenn Vazquez. Manhattan added two more runs in the sixth on the power of a two-run single by sophomore Alexa Dawid. Keller got Canisius within two at 4-2 when she led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer to the gap in left center, but that would end up being all of the scoring for the Blue and Gold in the game one loss.
Junior Briana Matazinsky earned her MAAC-leading 10th win of the season in the circle for Manhattan after she went the distance and allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits. She also struck out four and walked two. Canisius starter Madi Weathers took the loss for the Blue and Gold after she gave up four runs on six hits to go with three walks and a strikeout in 5.2 innings of action.
Keller and freshman Cassie Ho combined for all four of the Griffs’ hits in the game one loss. Keller went 2-for-2 with a homer, a double, two RBI and a run scored, while freshman Morgan Altman also scored a run for the Blue and Gold in the game.
In the second game, Canisius took a 1-0 lead in the second thanks to a leadoff home run by Ho, but that would end up being the Griffs’ only marker in the game, as the team fell 3-1. Manhattan tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth when a run scored on a three-base error by the Canisius defense, and the Jaspers tacked on two more runs in the sixth to stretch the cushion to 3-1.
Manhattan pounded out seven hits in the game two victory, and the visiting Jaspers were able to take advantage of two Canisius errors. Freshman Nicole Williams picked up her fourth win of the season for Manhattan after she tossed a complete-game and fanned a season-high 10 batters. Canisius junior Erika Mackie took the loss after she allowed three runs, one earned, on seven hits while fanning three.
Canisius will continue its six-game homestand on Sunday when the team plays host to Saint Peter’s. The MAAC doubleheader is set to start at noon at the Demske Sports Complex.
