STAFF REPORTS
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LOUDONVILLE — Canisius sophomore Denver Keller laid down a bunt-base hit with one out in the top of the eighth to give the Golden Griffins a 4-3 lead over hot Siena, and junior pitcher Erika Mackie made it stick by retiring the Saints in order in the home-half of the frame in the first game of a MAAC doubleheader Saturday.
In the nightcap, Siena’s Maddie McMahon went the distance and fanned six as Siena posted a 6-0 win over Canisius. The Griffs are now 16-25 overall and 4-6 in MAAC play, while the Saints moved to 12-23 overall and 7-3 in league play.
Siena started the first game with an early 2-0 lead, but the Blue and Gold took a 3-2 after scoring three times in the fifth. After freshman Morgan Altman and Gianna Degaltini started the frame off with back-to-back base hits, both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Destiny Holani. Senior Lindsey Silfer followed with a sac-fly to right that pushed Altman across the plate, and Degaltini scored moments later when Siena was charged with an error on a ball put into play by senior Samantha Sharkey. Sharkey would score on an RBI-single by sophomore Lauren Castro later in the inning. The RBI was Castro’s team-leading 32nd run batted in this season.
Siena knotted the game at 3-3 in the sixth, but Canisius went ahead for good in the eighth on the bunt-single by Keller that allowed freshman Cassie Ho to score. That run was enough to give Canisius its third-straight MAAC win, as Mackie sealed the win with a strikeout, a ground-out and a fly-ball out. The win, Mackie’s team-leading seventh of the season, came after she allowed one run on five hits to go with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. She came on in relief of Canisius starter Madi Weathers, who gave up two runs on six hits while waking three in 3.1 innings.
In the second game, Siena led 1-0 through five and then tacked on five unearned runs with two outs in the sixth to score the 6-0 victory. Castro went 1-for-3 with a double, but she also took the loss in the circle after she gave up six runs, none of which were earned, on nine hits in 5.2 innings of work. Silfer had two hits for the Griffs, while Altman drew a pair of walks and ended up stealing two bases in the losing effort.
Canisius will get back to action on Monday when the Griffs travel to play a non-league doubleheader at Robert Morris. Game one is set to begin at 3 p.m.