Canisius Tops Manhattan, 7-5, in First Game of MAAC Baseball Championship
MAAC Sports
Box Score
Fishkill, NY - Top-seeded Canisius defeated fourth-seeded Manhattan, 7-5, in the first game of the 2010 MAAC Baseball Championship at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y.
Canisius starter Shane Davis was the winning pitcher. He went eight and one-third innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on seven hits, two walks, and five hit batters. Davis has now won six straight games against Manhattan and three straight in MAAC Championship contests.
After Manhattan scored one in the top of the third, Canisius took control of the game with a six-run bottom of the fourth inning. Senior designated hitter Ian Choy drove in the first run with a fielder's choice to second base that allowed junior Will Chomicki to score, and moments later, junior Brian Burton had a two-RBI, opposite-field single to right that allowed Choy and senior Perry Silverman to score. After Manhattan made a pitching change, senior Shayne Willson greated Manhattan reliever Mike Gazzola by driving a 2-2 pitch to the gap in left-center for a double to knocked in two runs. Fellow senior Paul Panik drove in the final run of the inning when he stroked a single to center that allowed Willson to score.
Canisius added an insurance run in the home half of the sixth when junior Steve McQuail took the first pitch of the frame over the fence and deep into the wooded area in left field. Those runs would prove to be enough for Davis, as he earned his fourth-straight win over Manhattan in a starting role.
The Jaspers did mount a comeback in the top half of the ninth when Manhattan scored two runs, but Willson came in from right to close the door by getting the final two outs in the ninth. Eric Luksis took the loss for the Jaspers after he allowed five runs on four hits while walking seven and striking out two.
For the Griffs, Sean Jameson went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles while McQuail and Burton each had multiple hits on the day. Manhattan's Austin Sheffield had two hits in the losing effort for Manhattan, which fell to 30-19 with the loss.
Canisius advances to the winners' bracket game on Thursday evening at 7 p.m., when the Golden Griffins will play the winner of tonight's other first-round game between No. 2 seed Marist and No. 3 seed Rider. Manhattan will face the loser of the Marist-Rider game.
Click here to watch post-game interviews with Mike McRae and Shane Davis.