Canisius Eliminates Manhattan with 16-7 Win in Game Three of the 2008 MAAC Baseball Championship
MAAC Sports
Trenton, N.J. ? Top-seeded Canisius College (41-12) eliminated fourth-seeded Manhattan College (31-20-1) with a 16-7 win in game three of the 2008 MAAC Baseball Championship at Waterfront Park.
The Golden Griffins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning, with Branson Joseph knocking a two-run homer over the right field wall. Kevin Reimer then put his squad up, 3-0, with a single to left field to allow Kevin Mahoney to cross home plate. Ian Choy then sent a double down the left field line to bring home Adam Donato. Reimer and Choy then registered a run apiece on a double by Alec Cabello to give the Griffs a 6-0 lead.
In the third inning, the lead was extended to 9-0 for Canisius with Joseph hitting a two-RBI double to left center and then later scoring himself on a wild pitch.
Manhattan scored four runs in the top of the fourth, starting with Ruben Perez hitting a solo home run to center field. Ryan Masters doubled to left field to bring in Marc Giordano, and Masters later scored on a triple by Eric Nieto. Nieto reached home on a single by Mark Onorati.
The Griffs added two more runs to their total in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer by Reimer over the right field fence. The Jaspers recorded one more run themselves in the top of the fifth as Chad Salem homered to left field.
Donato started the sixth inning with a home run to left field to put Canisius ahead, 12-5. Cabello later singled to right field to plate Reimer and Connor Burke, and Kevin Mailloux singled to right field to bring in Choy.
Manhattan responded in the top of the seventh with back-to-back solo home runs by Kevin Nieto and Dom Lombardi.
Canisius wrapped up its scoring effort with one more run in the eighth as Mailloux singled to left field, bringing home Cabello.
Canisius’ Shane Davis went the distance and improved to 12-1 on the mound, while Manhattan’s Mike Gazzola ended the season at 4-3.
Canisius will play the loser of Game 4 between #3 Siena College and #4 Rider University in Game 5.