Canisius earned a pair of victories on Friday, defeating North Carolina Central 8-0 in six innings before beating UNCW, 4-1, in collegiate softball action at Boseman Field in Wilmington, N.C.
Game 1 Recap
Sophomore Megan Giese faced one batter over the minimum and tied her career high with 10 strikeouts as Canisius defeated North Carolina Central, 8-0, in six innings.
Giese, who took a perfect game into the fifth inning for the second time this week, allowed the lone base runner off a single to left before striking out four of the final five batters she faced.
Canisius got its offense going right out of the gates, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first.
Sophomore Gianna Fazzolari brought in the first run after working a bases-loaded walk. In the next two at-bats for the Griffs, Giese and freshman Emily Ilano connected on back-to-back sac flies.
The Griffs added to their lead in the fifth following a Christie McGee-Ross leadoff double.
Graduate student Lindsi Dennis singled up the middle to plate McGee-Ross before freshman Sam Weber, who was running for Dennis, scored on Ilano’s double to left with two out in the frame.
Canisius capped off victory with a three-run sixth. Freshman Saige Alfaro singled home junior Sophia Recrosio, who led off the frame with a triple.
With one out in the inning, Alfaro scored on a Dennis RBI groundout and McGee-Ross plated her third run of the contest on a Fazzolari single to left, giving the Griffs its second mercy-rule win of the season.
Game 2 Recap
Four different players had multi-hit performances and redshirt senior Emily Nicosia tossed 5.2 shutout innings en route to the 4-1 win in the nightcap.
Nicosia held UNCW to just four base runners, allowing only two to get into scoring position.
Canisius got on the board in the third inning when Alfaro scored on a wild pitch and Dennis plated graduate student Erin Hufford with an infield single to put the Griffs up a pair.
Alfaro scored her second run of the game in the fourth frame off a McGee-Ross single.
Fazzolari drove in an insurance run in the top of the seventh, doubling in Dennis.
The Seahawks offense came alive in the bottom of the frame as Janel Gamache led off the inning with a double.
After plating their first run on a fielder’s choice, UNCW had runners on first and second with one out. Canisius senior Alexis Churchill was able to quell the Seahawks comeback attempt, striking out the final two batters of the ballgame to earn the save and secure the win for the Griffs.
Head Coach Kim Griffin‘s Postgame Comments
“It was a pair of great all-around team wins. Our pitchers threw well, our defense was solid and our hitters were firing on all cylinders. The slappers were on the bases all day, putting pressure on the opposing defenses and we had some timely hits in big spots.”
Game Notes
• Canisius has recorded nine or more base hits in six of the ten games it has played this season.
• Giese tied her career high with 10 strikeouts, initially established at Manhattan during the 2021 campaign.
• For the second time this week, McGee-Ross has matched her career high in hits with a double and two singles in the first game. The sophomore also crossed the plate three times in the win, establishing a career high.
• Churchill earned her first career save in the second game.
• Hufford collected three hits in the night cap, her 12th career three-hit game.
Up Next
• Canisius continues tournament play in Wilmington, N.C., on Saturday with a pair of afternoon contests. The Griffs will face UNCW at 1:30 p.m., before squaring off agianst North Carolina Central at 4 p.m. from Boseman Field.
For complete coverage of Canisius softball, please follow @griffssoftball on Instagram and Twitter.Print Friendly Version
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