BUFFALO, NY – Everyone loves a good old-fashioned conference rivalry, and in MAAC Softball, the matchup between Siena and Canisius continues to produce must-see action. The Saints (20-10, 5-1) and the Golden Griffins (14-13, 4-2) met for the first time since the 2022 MAAC Championship Game on Saturday, with the teams each taking home a victory at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, New York.

Siena 7, Canisius 6

The Saints' return to Buffalo began with a struggle, as Canisius ran the score up at home to start the series. The Golden Griffins used back-to-back RBI doubles to score a pair of runs in the second, and then did so with two RBI singles in the fourth to hold a 4-0 advantage.

Siena used power hitting to get on the board in the top of the fifth, with freshman Emma Petersen sending a two-run homer to left for her second of the season. The home team responded with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame and a solo homer in the sixth to hold a 6-2 advantage, but the Saints were only getting started offensively.

The top of the seventh kicked off with a solo home run by senior Jocelyn Ulrich, and continued with Graduate student Sabrina Vargas and junior Mikala Fletcher getting on base. Junior Isabella Pardo sent in Fletcher on an RBI single, while sophomore McKenzie Swinson plated Vargas on an infield single that went to third and resulted in no play. Siena's three-run comeback was completed with an RBI triple from graduate student Ava Fitzmaurice that scored Swinson and Pardo.

Led defensively by a complete game win from redshirt freshman pitcher Alissa Eimont, Siena allowed a leadoff walk by retiring two straight batters in the bottom of the seventh to set up a 8-2-5-2-6 jam that ended the ballgame. Eimont (5-3) went for her sixth complete game of the year with four strikeouts, while MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Megan Giese (8-6) took the loss despite striking out 12 batters. Both teams recorded 11 hits, with Fletcher, Pardo, Fitzmaurice, and Petersen all logging multi-knock games for the Saints.

Canisius 6, Siena 3

Siena parlayed momentum from game one into the start of the nightcap, with senior Angelina Stile and Ulrich logging consecutive doubles to give the Saints to runs in the top of the first. Canisius got a run back off an error in the home half of the frame, while the Saints capitalized on a Canisius blunder to go back up two in the top of the fourth.

The Golden Griffins then put forth a crooked inning in the bottom of the frame, plating three runs off a 2 RBI triple and an RBI single. Siena left nine batters on-base during the course of the game, while the home team extended the lead with a solo home run in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth.

Alexi Churchill (3-1) took the complete game win for the Golden Griffins in the circle with seven strikeouts, while Fitzmaurice (8-4) carried the loss with four strikeouts in as many innings. Senior Allison Speshyock recorded one strikeout in two relief innings, while Stile went 3-4 at the plate to steady the team offensively.

Following Saturday's results, Siena and Marist are tied atop the MAAC standings at 5-1. The Saints will resume road action on Wednesday, April 12 when they head to Smithfield, Rhode Island for a non-conference doubleheader with Bryant.