Canisius Defeats Siena to Force Deciding Game in 2015 MAAC Baseball Championship Final
MAAC Sports
FISHKILL, N.Y. – Second seeded Canisius came up big offensively in Saturday afternoons early game, forcing a deciding game to crown the 2015 MAAC Baseball Champion. The Griffs defeated the fourth seeded Saints 10-5 in the 12pm game to stay alive in the tournament. The winner of this afternoon’s game scheduled for 3:10pm will take the 2015 MAAC Baseball Championship title. Siena will be the home team in this afternoons matchup.
Siena’s Chris Amorosi and Canisius’ J.P. Stevenson took the mound for the championship matchup Saturday afternoon. The Saints recorded the first hit of the game as center fielder Dan Swain singled to left field to put a runner on early for Siena. Stevenson was able to strike the next two batters out before Swain stole second successfully but slid past the bag and was tagged out to bring the Griffs to bat in the first.
To start the bottom of the first, Amorosi got left fielder Connor Panas to ground out before designated hitter Mike Krische singled through the hole on the left side. Right fielder Brett Siddall followed up singled past the diving second baseman to put runners on first and second with one out. First baseman Ryan Stekl walked to load the bases for the Griffs bringing third baseman Jesse Puscheck to bat. Amorosi induced a groundball in the infield to get the runner at home for the second out of the inning. Freshman catcher Jack Massa singled to shallow center driving in Krische and Siddall to give the Griffs a 2-0 lead early in the ball game. Jake Lumley drove a slicing ball to deep right field that was caught by Dan Lowndes to get the Saints out of the inning.
Stevenson started the second inning on the mound getting the lead-off batter to strike out swinging before Siena catcher Dave Hoffman doubled down the left field line past a diving Puscheck. Joe Drpich drove a single to right center past the shift to score Hoffman from second giving the Saints a run making the score 2-1. Following two ground balls Stevenson worked out of the second with the lead intact.
Amorosi gave up a lead-off single to shortstop Anthony Massicci to being the bottom of the second. Griffs center fielder Cyrus Senior chopped a ball to first base to move Massicci to second with one out. Panas knocked a shallow single to center falling in front of Swain to put runners on the corners. Krische came to the plate and attempted a safety squeeze bringing Massicci in from third but was nabbed at the plate on a good play from Fay to Hoffman to keep the Griffs within one run. Siddall came to the plate and drove a fly ball into the left center gap bringing in Panas and Krische a 4-1 lead. Stekl drove a line drive to right field brining Siddall into score to extend the Griffs advantage before Amorosi got out of the inning.
With a four run lead, Stevenson had some breathing room to work heading into the third inning and again began the frame with a strikeout. The Griffs got the first two outs before giving up a single through the right side to second baseman Jordan Bishop to keep Siena alive in the inning. Stevenson caught third baseman Justin Esquerra looking to finish the frame to head into the bottom of the third and bring the Griffs back to the plate.
Amorosi came back to the mound and got Massa to ground out to second base to begin the inning for the Saints in the bottom of the third. In the next at bat Jake Lumley would fly out to Swain in center for the second out of the inning. Massicci then drove a fly ball into right center that just got past a diving swain for a triple chasing Amorosi from the game with two outs. Ryan Bellomo came in to relieve Amorosi and got Cyrus Senior to ground out to end the third and keep the Griffs off the scoreboard.
Stevenson started off the fourth again with a strikeout for the third consecutive inning to set the tone for Canisius. The Griffs pitcher got the second out of the inning on a strikeout and then Drpich reached on an error, hit to the shift on the right side that was thrown over the first baseman’s head. Left fielder Alex Tuccio followed with a long knock to left center for a triple driving in Drpich to bring the Saints deficit to 5-2 with two outs. Stevenson would strike out the side and leave the inning with a three run lead.
Panas led off the fourth inning for the Griffs and singled up the middle. Krische came up and sacrificed Panas to second on a bunt to put a runner in scoring position. Siddall flew out to left for the second out of the inning. With a full count Stekl lined a single up the middle past Bellomo on the mound to bring Panas around to score giving Canisius a 6-2 lead. Bellomo hit Puscheck with a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs. Massa walked to load the bases for the Griffs providing a chance to extend the lead. Jake Lumley would come to the plate again driving a hard hit to right center that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double bringing Stekl and Puscheck in to score. With two runners in scoring position, Massicci walked to re-load the bases for the Canisius. Cyrus Senior took a two strike pitch back up the middle to drive in Massa and Lumley and give the Griffs a 10-2 lead. Bellomo got Panas to fly to right for the final out of the inning.
Stevenson got a quick groundball out to begin the fourth before getting his ninth strikeout for the second out of the inning. The Griffs starter was able to induce a ground ball to first base to get out of the inning completing his first one, two, three inning of the game.
Bellomo returned to get the first out of the fifth getting Krische to ground out on a two strike pitch to third base. Siddall walked with one out to mark the fifth consecutive inning a Griff would reach base. Bellomo would get Stekl to fly out to right field for the second out of the inning followed by a lineout again to right field to end the frame and head into the sixth inning.
Esquerra lead off the sixth with a single to center before Fay flied out to right field for the first out. Hoffman knobbed a grounder to second base moving Esquerra into scoring position with two outs. Drpich, the fourth batter of the inning, came to bat and hit a high fly ball to left field for the final out of the inning finishing six innings for Stevenson.
Bellomo started the sixth inning with a strikeout before getting Lumley to ground out to short for two quick outs. With two down, Massicci drove a double down the left field line putting another runner in scoring position for the Griffs. Senior followed up the double with a walk to put runners on first and second. Bellomo would get Panas to ground out to second keeping the score 10-2 moving into the bottom of the inning.
Brandon Bielecki would come into relieve Stevenson for Canisus in the seventh. Bielecki would get Tuccio to ground out for the first out of the inning, before Lowndes singled to left to put a runner on for the Saints. Martis was tagged out at first after lining a sharp grounder off the pitcher that was picked up by Stekl at first base for the second out, moving Lowndes to second. Swain would knock a single to left field bringing Lowndes into score safely on a play at the plate. Bishop would fly out to center to end the inning but the Saints would bring the score to 10-3.
Bellomo started the seventh with two quick outs getting Krische to strike out looking on three pitches and followed that up getting Siddall to ground out to short. Bellomo would complete Siena’s first one, two, three inning getting Stekl to fly out to right field moving into the eighth.
Bielecki continued the pitching putting the Saints down one, two, three with three ground balls. To start the inning, he got Esquerra to ground out to short on a play in the hole where Massicci, moving away from the play, had to make a throw across his body to catch the runner at first for the out. Bielecki got Fay to ground a two ball and two strike pitch to shortstop for the second out of the inning. Hoffman grounded out to second base to end the inning for the Saints.
Puscheck led off the eighth with a single to center past a diving second baseman to put a runner on base for the Griffs for seven of eight innings during the game. Massa followed with a single over the shortstop’s head to put runners on first and second. John Conti came in to pinch run for Massa as Lumley came to bat and flied a ball to left for the first out of the inning. Conti was thrown out attempting to take second on a wild pitch for the second out. Massicci grounded out to short on the next pitch to end the inning for the Griffs.
Drpich began the ninth looking to start a Saints comeback with a single to center. Tapia pinch hit for Tuccio and slapped an infield hit to the hole on the left side putting runners on first and second. Fred Smart came in to pinch hit for Siena and drove a single to center bringing Drpich around to score and put runners on the corners. Brett Connors came to bat pinch hitting for Martis grounding a ball to short that the Griffs attempted to turn for a double play, but Connors beat the throw and Tapia scored making the game 10-5. Swain chopped a ball to short reaching to extend the inning for the Saints with runners on first and second. Bishop singled to center to load the bases for Esquerra down five runs. Bielecki gets Esquerra to line out to second base doubling off the runner at first to end the game.
Canisius finished the game batting eight for sixteen with two outs and seven for sixteen with runners in scoring position. Stevenson finished the game throwing six innings giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits and walking none while striking out nine. Siddall and Stekl finished their days going two for four driving in two runs apiece and scoring two runs apiece for Canisius.
For the Saints, Bellomo threw five and one-third innings giving up five runs on seven hits and walking four while striking out two. Swain finished his day three for five scoring a run.
Tickets for the MAAC Baseball Championship are on sale now at the Dutchess Stadium box office. Admission will be $20 per day for adults and $5 per day for kids 12 and under. All seating is general admission.
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