STAFF REPORTS
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The Canisius softball team returns to the road April 15 when the Golden Griffins play at Siena. The MAAC doubleheader against the Saints will start a stretch of eight-straight road contests for the team, which runs through April 23 at Monmouth.
Canisius is 15-24 overall and 3-5 in MAAC play after being swept at home by Syracuse April 12. Canisius scored a pair of wins in its last MAAC doubleheader when the team swept Saint Peter’s at home April 9. In the two wins over Saint Peter’s, Canisius outscored the Peacocks by an 11-0 count on the day. The back-to-back shutouts are the first for the Blue and Gold since March 25, 2016. Canisius junior Madi Weathers is tied for third nationally with four saves. Canisius sophomore Lauren Castro ranks second on the team with her .328 batting average. He 13 doubles this season ranks 19th in the nation, and her team-high 74 total bases ranks 107th in the country among all Division I players. Castro also leads the MAAC in RBI with 31, and her seven homers this year are tied for the conference lead. Senior Samantha Sharkey leads the Griffs and ranks sixth in the MAAC with her .348 batting average. She is tied for fifth in the conference with her nine stolen bases as well. Junior Moriah Harris ripped her fifth home run of the season in the game two loss to Syracuse on April 12. She starts the weekend tied for eighth in school history with 13 career homers. Junior pitcher Erika Mackie, one of three pitchers in the MAAC with more than 100 innings of work, ranks fifth in the MAAC with her 64 strikeouts this season.
In its 27th season of MAAC play, Canisius holds an all-time record of 361-141 (.720 win percentage) in MAAC regular-season games.
Siena, winners in four of its last six games, starts its weekend Friday when the team hosts Iona in a MAAC doubleheader. The Saints are 5-1 in MAAC play after the team swept Fairfield April 9 with a pair of mercy-rule victories. Siena has four players hitting better than .300 on the year, led by senior Chelsey Drew, who boasts a batting average of .338 to go with five doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI. Junior Lauren Butts and freshman Maddie McMahon have combined to win all 10 games this season for the Saints’ pitching staff. Butts has a team-best 4.01 ERA, while McMahon has fanned 59 batters in 65.0 innings of work.
Canisius and Siena have played 52 times previously, with the Griffs leading the all-time series 39-13. Last season, the Saints scored a doubleheader sweep of Canisius in Buffalo. Canisius has dropped five straight to Siena, dating back to the 2014 season.
