Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - Siena and Canisius have met in the MAAC Baseball Championship Series each of the past two seasons. Following a pair of hard fought, one-run decisions in Saturday's series opening doubleheader, it wouldn't be surprising if the rivals met again with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line in two weeks.

Senior Ed Lewicki hurled seven strong innings to pitch Siena (17-25, 10-7) to a 3-2 win in the opener, while Canisius (25-26, 13-7) rallied to capture the nightcap 4-3 in nine innings at Siena Field. The Saints could have leapfrogged the Golden Griffins in the MAAC Standings with a Saturday sweep, but instead remain a game and a half back of their rivals with four conference games remaining.

Saturday's split thus sets the stage for a pivotal rubber game Sunday at 4 p.m. Siena's six seniors will walk across the Times Union Center stage for graduation in the morning and then return to campus for their final home game which will be preceded by a special Senior Day ceremony at 3:45 p.m.

Game One - Siena 3, Canisius 2

The difference in the one-run game was the mastery of Lewicki coupled with Canisius' suspect defense which committed three errors leading to a pair of unearned Siena runs. The Saints capitalized on the first Golden Griffins' miscue, plating the game's initial run on an RBI single to right by freshman Dan Lowndes in the bottom of the second.

Canisius would break through against Lewicki in the top of the fourth and take their first lead on a two-run double by Jack Massa. But Lewicki and battery mate Phil Madonna would limit the damage thanks to a nice defensive play. With runners now in scoring position and one out later in the inning, Madonna quickly pounced on a wild pitch and fed the charging Lewicki who slapped the tag on Massa before he crossed the plate.

Cutting down that potential run would prove to be crucial as Canisius couldn't inflict further damage against Lewicki. In his final Siena Field performance, Lewicki limited the MAAC's top hitting team to just two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out six over seven brilliant innings to earn the win.

Lewicki's performance allowed the Saints to rally for single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to initially tie the game and then reclaim the lead for good. Dan Swain led off the bottom of the sixth by reaching on another Canisius error and came around to score the tying run on a double play later in the frame.

Dave Hoffmann doubled and Joe Drpich walked to start the bottom of the seventh for the Saints and were sacrificed into scoring position but would remain there with two outs. But Canisius reliever Brandon Bielecki misfired with a wild pitch allowing Hoffmann to score what would turn out to be the winning run.

Siena's dynamic late inning duo of Kyano Cummings and Matt Quintana came on to record the final six outs as the Saints took a big step closer to clinching a MAAC Tournament berth and a chance at defending their title.

Game Two - Canisius 4, Siena 3 (9)

Siena jumped all over Canisius starter Devon Stewart, scoring a pair of first inning runs on an RBI double by Justin Esquerra and a run scoring single from Brian Fay.

But Canisius, somewhat surprisingly, gave the proven veteran Stewart the early hook after just an inning of work. The move paid off as four Golden Griffins relievers combined to scatter just five hits and an unearned run over the final eight innings allowing Canisius to rally.

The Golden Griffins scored three times in the top of the fifth off Siena starter Bryan Goossens to take a 3-2 lead. Goossens had breezed through the first four innings retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced, but the first three Golden Griffins reached to load the bases with nobody out to start the fifth. Goossens was relieved by Cummings who balked home the first run and then MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Conor Panas delivered the big blow with a two-out, two-run single off Quintana to put Canisius in front.

Down to their final at-bat in the seventh, Swain reached on a two-base error to start the inning and advanced to third with one out on a Jordan Bishop sacrifice. Esquerra then sharply singled through the left side of the draw in infield to knot the score and send the game into extra innings.

Siena freshman Ryan Bellomo, who pitched well overall in two and a third innings of relief, retired the first two batters in the top of the ninth with ease, but Zach Garick followed with a triple to right and Massa then drove him in with the go-ahead run on a single to right. The Saints were retired in order to end it in the bottom of the ninth by Canisius closer Iannick Remillard, who came on to record the final seven outs to pick up the win.

Esquerra, Fay and freshman Ryan Stefaniak each recorded two hits in the nightcap for Siena whose past five games have each been decided by two runs or less.