No. 3 CANISIUS KNOCKS OFF TOP SEEDED RIDER 18-7 IN GAME FOUR
MAAC Sports
TRENTON, N.J. – The Canisius College baseball team erupted for eight runs in the top of the sixth inning to break open a tie game, and went on to defeat Rider University 18-7 in Game Four of the 2013 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Waterfront Park. The two teams resumed play in the top of the fifth inning at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday after the game was suspended at 12:03 a.m. following a 33-minute rain delay late Friday night.
The victory puts the third-seeded Golden Griffs into Sunday’s championship contest at noon. Canisius will face the winner of Game Five, top-seeded Rider vs. No. 4 Siena, which was scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. It’s the fourth time in the past five MAAC tournament that the Griffs have advanced to the championship round.
“This game was a battle from the beginning to the end,” said Canisius head coach Mike McRae. “I guess it was a 16-hour game from yesterday – it was a grind.”
The game actually concluded at 3:38 p.m. on Saturday, some 15 hours and 51 minutes after it began at 9:47 p.m. on Friday night. Canisius and Rider had battled to a 5-5 tie after four innings before the game was suspended due to rain.
Both teams scored twice in the fifth after the resumption of play, setting the stage for the big sixth inning for the Golden Griffs. Canisius pounded out six hits, and took advantage of two Rider errors, one walk and one hit batsman to push across eight runs in that decisive frame. Shortstop Ronnie Bernick and catcher Brooklyn Foster each had two-RBI singles, and rightfielder Ryan Coppinger’s triple also drove in two.
“We did take advantage of that big inning, when we put up an eight spot,” said McRae. “We had some good at-bats.”
Coppinger and designated hitter Jesse Puscheck each drove in five runs for the Griffs, who pounded out 14 hits. Foster, Bernick and centerfielder Mike Krische each drove in a pair. Puscheck and second baseman Jose Torralba each scored four times.
Puscheck was a base hit away from hitting for the cycle for Griffs, as he stroked a double, triple and grand slam home run.
Reliever Devon Stewart, who was the MAAC’s Rookie of the Year in 2012, earned the victory by scattering eight hits and allowing just two runs over the final five innings. Ironically, he relieved Alex Godzak, the 2013 Rookie of the Year, who started the game last night for Canisius and threw four innings. It was Stewart’s first-ever relief appearance.
Rightfielder Nick Crescenzo drove in two runs and contributed two hits for the Broncs, while first baseman Justin Thomas scored twice and had three hits.
The victory improved Canisius’ mark to 41-15, which ties the program record for most wins in a single season, and also ties the MAAC single season record for victories. Rider fell to 35-21.