CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
The Canisius softball team dropped a pair of games Tuesday at Niagara, falling 3-0 in the opening contest before taking a 4-0 loss in the nightcap in Lewiston, N.Y. The wins move the Purple Eagles to 14-27 (6-6 in MAAC action), while the Golden Griffins fell to 9-28 and 5-5 in MAAC play on the season.
In the first game, Niagara hurler Sierra Bertrand shut out the Griffs, allowing just four hits in the contest. The Purple Eagles earned the first run of the game in the home-half of the first with a homerun off the bat of Kelsey Harrigan. The freshman would return to the plate in fourth to hit an RBI single to secure the win for Niagara.
Sophomore Morgan Altman, junior Molly Hennessy, sophomore Cassie Ho, and freshman Erin Hufford each tabbed a base knock for the Griffs. Canisius senior Erika Mackie took the loss in the circle as she allowed three runs, on eight hits, while fanning three. With the loss, Mackie moves to 5-14 for the season.
In the second game, Niagara took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI-double by Kendall Watkins, which pushed Sarah Trifoso across the plate. The score would remain 1-0 in favor of Niagara until the fifth when the Purple Eagles scored three times to increase their lead to 4-0. In that frame, Niagara’s Trifoso hit an RBI single to center field and she scored moments later off of a Harrigan double. That run support was more than enough for Niagara starter Jennifer Szilagyi, who scattered two hits over five innings and fanned four en route to her seventh win of the season.
Canisius freshman Emily Nicosia took the loss in the circle for the Griffs after she allowed four runs on five hits with one strikeout in five innings of work.
The Griffs had two hits in the loss, with junior Molly McGuire ending the game by going 1-for-2 with a double and Hufford going 1-for-3 with a single. The Blue and Gold recorded six hits for the day.
Game Notes
• Tuesday’s twinbill was the 118th and 119th all-time meetings between Canisius and Niagara on the softball diamond.
• Canisius is 92-26-1 all-time against Niagara. The 92 wins are the most for the program against any opponent.
• Tuesday’s MAAC sweep by Niagara is the Purple Eagles first of Canisius since the 2003 season.
UP NEXT
• Canisius will open a 10-game homestand to close out the 2018 regular-season, starting Saturday, April 28, when MAAC-leading Monmouth travels to Buffalo. That league twinbill is set to start at noon.
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