BUFFALO, N.Y. - Manhattan opened its Western New York weekend with a pair of losses at the hands of Canisius on Saturday.
Game 1: Canisius 8, Manhattan 4
Manhattan couldn't keep pace with Canisius in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon as the Golden Griffins secured an 8-4 win at Demske Sports Complex. Megan Giese notched the win for the home team by throwing six innings and two runs.
Canisius got on the board in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Emily IIano. Saige Alfaro continued the rally with a double that plated two and pushed the lead to 3-0.
Lauren Rende singled in the top of the third and then advanced to second on a passed ball before
Annie Moore delivered an RBI single to cut the Jaspers deficit to two runs.
Canisius would create more separation in the bottom of the third, with Sydney Costey scoring on a fielder's choice by Lindsi Dennis. After both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, Tiara Johnson came through with a bunt single that scored another run and extended the lead to 5-1.
Manhattan was able to claw their way back into the game by scoring one in the fifth and two in the sixth. After working the bases loaded in the fifth,
Marika Deemer reached on an error by the shortstop, which brought
Madison Ihnat home from third. Then in the sixth,
Kaitlyn Flood led off with a single before pinch hitter
Tajiana Pickett cut the deficit to one with a two-run blast.
The Golden Griffins answered with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to cap the scoring. Canisius outhit Manhattan 9-7, with Alfaro going 3-for-3 with two RBIs to pace the home team. Rende went 3-for-4 for Manhattan while four other Jaspers recorded one hit each.
Game 2: Canisius 7, Manhattan 2
Manhattan was unable to salvage the doubleheader's second game, losing 7-2 to the Canisius Golden Griffins. The final result proved the finishing touches for the sweep for Canisius.
Canisius got four runs on the board in the fourth inning. Sophia Recrosio singled up the middle to drive in the first run before back-to-back singles from Saige Alfaro, and Erin Hufford increased the lead to 4-0.
Manhattan started their comeback attempt in the sixth inning with an RBI single from
Lauren Rende. They tacked on another with an RBI double from
Kaitlyn Flood that scored
Gabriella Mazzotta.
In the sixth inning, the Golden Griffins would muster another pair of runs on an RBI single from Destiny Falquez. Then, when Lindsi Dennis got hit by a pitch, Christie McGee-Ross was given a free pass home to cap the scoring.
In game two, Canisius outhit Manhattan 9-5, with six different Golden Griffin players recording a hit. Alfaro went 2-of-3, and Hufford was 3-of-4. Emily Nicosia allowed two earned runs in 5.1 innings to earn the win for Canisius.
Ava Metzger conceded seven runs in 5.1 innings for the Jaspers.
Manhattan (11-28, 5-9 MAAC) is set to conclude its road trip with a doubleheader at Niagara (13-21, 7-7 MAAC) on Sunday. Game one starts at 10 a.m., and game two will begin at noon.
