Canisius Takes Two to Win 2015 MAAC Baseball Championship
MAAC Sports
FISHKILL, N.Y. – Second seeded Canisius College has been crowned the 2015 MAAC Baseball Champion at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, New York. Canisius defeated fourth seeded Siena 11-2 after winning the first championship matchup this morning 10-5. Canisius’ offense was rolling Saturday scoring twenty-one runs over the two game playoff for the 2015 MAAC championship. 2015 MAAC Baseball Championship All-Tournament MVP Connor Panas finished the tournament hitting .500 (13-26), with ten runs scored and twelve runs batted in with three extra base hits.
Canisius’ Zach Sloan and Siena’s Taylor Ahearn took the mound for the final championship matchup in the deciding game Saturday afternoon. The Griffs, the designated away team, got up to the plate to lead things off. Ahearn got left fielder Connor Panas to strikeout on six pitches to begin the game and followed up getting second baseman Jake Lumley to ground out to second base for two quick outs. Canisius’ Brett Siddall worked out a walk to reach base for the Griffs, but Ahearn worked out of the inning catching first baseman Ryan Stekl looking for strike three to end the frame.
To start the bottom of the first, Siena’s center fielder Dan Swain walked to lead things off for the Saints. Second baseman Jordan Bishop bunted Swain over to second on the sacrifice and Sloan got third baseman Justin Esquerra looking for the second out of the inning. After a wild pitch that sent Swain to third base, Sloan got out of the inning getting first baseman Brian Fay to fly out to right field.
The Griffs came back to the plate to start things off in the second inning. Canisius third baseman Jesse Puscheck drilled a line drive to left field, but the ball was caught by a diving Alex Tuccio for the first out. Catcher Jack Massa recorded the first hit for the Griffs floating a single to right center with one out. Ahearn walked shortstop Anthony Massicci to put runners on first and second bringing designated hitter Mike Krische to the plate. Krische dribbled a high chop to the pitcher that moved the runners to second and third, but was thrown out at first for the second out of the inning. Freshman center fielder Cyrus Senior drove a single up the middle knocking in Massa and Massicci to give the Griffs a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Ahearn was able to strikeout Panas for the second time in the game to end the inning.
Siena catcher Dave Hoffman struck out swinging versus Sloan for the first out of the second frame. Designated hitter Joe Drpich came up next and drilled a line drive up the middle right into the Griffs shift and was thrown out at first for the second out of the inning. Sloan was able to end the inning getting Tuccio to take strike three for the third out and send the Saints down in order.
Lumley led off the third frame for the Saints and slapped a single to left field to put a runner on for the Griffs. Siddall took a two ball and one strike pitch into right field for back to back singles putting runners on first and second with no outs. Ahearn caught Stekl looking for the second time in the game for the first out of the inning. With one out and two runners on, Puscheck walked on a full count to load the bases. A wild pitch with Massicci at the plate brought Lumley into score, moving the runners to second and third. After a ten pitch at bat, Ahearn got Massicci swinging on strike three for his sixth strikeout of the game for the third out of the inning.
Right fielder Dan Lowndes began the third inning for the Saints with a double to spark the Siena offense. Shortstop Tyler Martis walked on four pitches to put runners on first and second with no outs. Lowndes took third on a pitch after getting a big jump on a wild pitch blocked by the catcher before Sloan got Swain swinging for the first out of the inning. Bishop would line out to shortstop for the second out of the inning bringing the Saints number three hitter to the plate with runners at the corners. Sloan caught Esquerra looking to end the frame for his fifth strikeout of the game closing out the third.
Krische led off the fourth for the Griffs, knocking a single through the right side past a diving Fay. Senior drove a line drive right up the middle for his second base hit of the game moving Krische to second. A wild pitch sent the runners into scoring position with no outs. Panas would drill a line drive down the right field line for a triple driving in both Krische and Senior, but Panas would score on an errant throw to make his way all the way around the bases to give the Griffs a 6-0 lead. Relief pitcher Kyano Cummings came into the game for Siena relieving Ahearn. Cummings walked Lumley before getting Siddall to fly out to right field for the first out. Stekl grounded out to the pitcher for the second out, advancing Lumley to second base. Puscheck lined a ball through the left side hole to score Lumley from second with two outs, putting the Griffs up 7-0. Puscheck was thrown out by Hoffman as he was caught stealing second for the third out of the inning.
Fay led off the inning for the Saints in the bottom of the fourth and grounded out to first base for the initial out of the inning. Hoffman would reach base on a walk with one out, before Sloan would catch Drpich swinging for strike three. Tuccio would hit a ground ball at third base that would catch Hoffman out at second base on the force play for the final out of the fourth inning.
Leading off the fifth for Canisius, Massa grounded out to shortstop for the first out of the inning. Massicci would walk reaching base for the Griffs. Krische would hit a soft grounder to the third base side and would reach on a fielding error putting runners on first and second with one out. Senior would beat out a grounder to second base, breaking up a double play to have runners on the corners with two outs. Senior advanced to second on a wild pitch blocked by the catcher to put two runners in scoring position. Panas would come up big again driving in two more runs on a single to left field giving the Griffs a 9-0 lead. Panas would steal second base to give Canisius another shot to add runs to the board. On a ground ball to third base, Lumley was thrown out at first to end the inning.
The bottom of the fifth began with Lowndes at bat for the Saints, who drew a walk on four pitches. Martis singled up the middle that was kept in the infield by a diving Massicci putting runners on first and second for Siena. Swain singled through the left side hole loading the bases with no outs for Bishop. Bishop grounded into a double play, but Lowndes came in to score putting a run on the board for the Saints making the score 9-1. Esquerra grounded out to end the inning as Sloan worked his way out of the jam.
Cummings started off the inning getting Siddall to strike out looking on a one ball and two strike pitch. Stekl came to the plate and grounded out to second base before Puscheck flied out to right field for a one, two, three inning. The inning marked the first frame of the game that a Canisius runner did not reach base.
After giving up a single to Fay in the bottom of the sixth, Sloan was pulled from the game in favor of reliever Tyler Smith. The first batter Smith faced, Hoffman, walked to move runners to first and second with no outs. Drpich would follow that up with another walk to again load the bases for the Saints. Smith got Tuccio to chase a pitch out of the zone for the first out of the frame. Lowndes drilled a base hit through the left side hole bringing in Fay to score. Hoffman followed Fay, but Panas would throw him out at the plate attempting to score. With runners on first and second with two outs and the Saints trailing 9-2, Smith got Martis to pop up to third base for the final out of the inning.
Massa led off the top of the seventh for Canisius, with a single to right field. Massicci broke up a double play beating out the throw to first to put a man on first with one out for the Griffs. Krische walked moving Massicci to second, as Cummings was relieved for Bryan Goossens for the Saints. Senior reached on a fielder’s choice ground ball to second base, as Krische was called out at second on a force play to put runners on the corners with two outs. Senior took second base on a steal and Panas delivered again on a single up the middle scoring Massicci and Senior for the 11-2 lead. Panas was thrown out stealing for the final out of the inning.
Smith got back to back strikeouts getting Swain and Bishop to swing and miss leading off the bottom of the seventh. Smith struck out the side in order after getting Esquerra to swing and miss to end the seventh inning, bringing the Griffs back to the plate to open the eighth.
In the eighth, Lumley grounded out to second base for the first out of the inning. Siddall came up next and narrowly beat out an infield hit after Bishop made a diving attempt to get the runner at first. Stekl grounded into a double play to end the inning for the Griffs.
Eric Stolzenburg came in to relieve Smith in the bottom of the eighth. Stolzenburg got two quick outs getting Fay to ground out to first base to open the inning followed by a second groundout to shortstop by Hoffman for the second out of the inning. The shift got the best of Drpich again in the eighth as he hit a grounder up the middle where a fielder was waiting and got the out at first to go down in order.
Goossens retired Puscheck to beign the top of the ninth on strikes before being relieved by pitcher Matt Quintana. Quintana gave up a walk to Massa before inducing a double play off of the bat of Massicci to end the inning and give Siena a final opportunity to try and make a comeback in the bottom of the ninth.
Carlos Tapia pinch hit to lead off the ninth for Siena, but Stolzenburg got him to pop up to first base for the first out of the inning. Fred Smart pinch hit as well grounding out to shortstop to bring Canisius within one out of being named MAAC champions. Brett Connors pinch hit for the Saints with two outs and Stolzenburg got him to ground to third and was misplayed to put a runner on base. Swain came to the plate and grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game giving Canisius the win and the title, being crowned the 2015 MAAC baseball champions.
Sloan finished the game throwing five innings giving up two runs on four hits and walking four while striking out six. Panas finished his day going three for five scoring one run and driving in a tournament high six runs.
For the Saints, Ahearn threw three innings giving up six runs on seven hits and walking three while striking out six. Lowndes finished his day two for two with a run scored and a run batted in.
The Canisius Golden Griffins will find out their NCAA Tournament fate on Monday, May 25 at noon during the 2015 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Selection Show airing live on ESPNU.
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2015 MAAC Baseball All-Tournament Team
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MVP - Connor Panas
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Canisius College
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Mike Krische
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Canisius College
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Jack Massa
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Canisius College
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J.P. Stevenson
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Canisius College
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Rich Vrana
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Marist College
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Dan Shea
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Monmouth University
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Vincent Guglietti
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Quinnipiac University
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Thomas Jankins
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Quinnipiac University
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Nick Richter
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Rider University
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Joe Drpich
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Siena College
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Matt Quintana
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Siena College
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Dan Swain
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Siena College
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