April 22, 2006
Final Stats
Siena and Canisius combined for 41 runs and 40 hits in a slugfest in game one, which the Golden Griffins won 21-20 in 10 innings, and the Blue and Gold came from behind for a 7-4 victory in game two to sweep the doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex.
The Saints (13-23-1, 6-8 MAAC) were led by Scott King, who went 5-for-7 with a double, a homer, four runs and three RBIs for the afternoon. Chris Klepps was 4-for-8 with a triple, a homer, four RBIs and four runs. For the Griffs, freshman Kevin Mahoney was 6-for-10 on the day with two homers, five runs, a double and nine RBIs, while teammate Dan Clifford (Timon-St. Jude) went 6-for-9 with five runs, a homer, a double and three RBIs. The Griffs (11-27, 4-10 MAAC) tied their school record with 21 hits and 21 RBIs.
Siena rallied from a 15-8 deficit to take a 20-19 lead in the top of the ninth inning when Jacob Willis drove in Matt Gidaly with a single through the left side. The Griffs tied the game in the bottom of the frame with a two-out rally. Mahoney singled up the middle, and Connor Burke walked. Freshman Bob Locke drove in Mahoney with a pinch-hit single to tie the game at 20-20.
Senior pitcher Alex Winiewicz got the Saints in order in the top of the 10th, which was just the second time in the contest a team went down in order, while Clifford hit the right-field foul pole in the bottom of the inning for the walk-off homer and a 21-20 win.
Trailing 8-5, Canisius broke the game open in the fifth by scoring 10 runs to take a 15-8 cushion. Canisius had 10 hits in the frame, and a two-run double by Clifford was the only extra-base knock. Siena came right back and scored six runs in the top of the sixth to trim the margin to 15-14 with the aid of a three-run homer by Klepps.
Mahoney drilled a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning, which keyed a four-run rally as the Griffs regained command 19-14. The homer was Mahoney's second of the game. Siena loaded the bases in the seventh and scored three runs on the strength of a Michael Ambury double. The Saints tied the game 19-19 in the eighth as Rick Seltzer doubled home Willis, who walked, while King scored Seltzer with a single.
Canisius trailed 4-2 in game two before rallying in the sixth inning. Siena pitcher James Pacifico was cruising, retiring 12-straight hitters until Mark Tupek led off the frame with a single to left center. Tupek went to third on a throwing error and scored on a Gabe Baida single. After Matt Mazurek was hit by a pitch, Mahoney drove in two runs with a double. Burke drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and freshman Alec Cabello singled in another run to give the Griffs a 7-4 lead.
The Saints and Griffs will finish the series tomorrow with a 3 p.m. contest at the Demske Sports Complex.
