CANISIUS WINS FIRST-EVER MAAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
MAAC Sports
TRENTON, N.J. – The seventh time proved to be the charm for the Canisius College baseball team, but it certainly wasn’t easy for the Golden Griffs.
The third-seeded Griffs, who were making their seventh consecutive appearance in the MAAC Baseball Championship tournament and eighth overall, came out of the winner’s bracket to win their third straight game, defeating fourth-seeded Siena 12-11 in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the ninth inning to take their first-ever league title. Canisius scored the winning run when second baseman Jose Torralba was hit by a pitch thrown by Siena’s Justin Brantley with the bases loaded and two outs, forcing home catcher Brooklyn Foster, who had reached on a walk.
“I was ready for any situation to end the game right there,” said Torralba.”I’m so happy for these guys. There’s no other group I’d rather be with.”
Canisius led 11-9 going into the top of the ninth, but Siena rallied for two runs to tie the score, when catcher Larry Balkwill powered a two-out, two-run homer to left center. That set the stage for Canisius’ heroics in the bottom half of the inning.
“This is truly a very resilient group. They’ve been through their ups and downs all season,” season Canisius coach Mike McRae. “With this group of guys and the way our season’s gone there couldn’t have been a better ending.”
Siena’s dramatic comeback against Canisius fell just short, and came less than 24 hours after the Saints had rallied from a six-run deficit against top-seeded Rider to take a 11-8, 10-inning decision against the Broncs for an elimination round victory.
“Siena did a great job, obviously,” said McRae, in a nod to the Saints. Canisius had built leads of five and seven runs during the game, but Siena came back each time to get back into the ballgame.
After taking an early 5-0 lead after three innings, Canisius scored five runs on two hits and two Siena errors in the bottom of the sixth to take what what was a commanding 10-3 lead at the time. Connor Panas was credited with a RBI when he walked with the bases loaded, Torralba drove in a pair of runs with a single and Jesse Kelso drilled a sacrifice fly to right to drive in a run.
But the Saints rallied back with six runs in the top of the seventh to pull to within one, 10-9. Mike Allen, Javier Garcia, Tyler Martis and Mike Fish all had RBI singles for Siena
Canisius responded with a solo run in the bottom of the seventh when Jimmy Luppens singled and eventually scored on Panas’ RBI single to make the cushion 11-9.
Canisius built its 5-0 lead after three innings, with solo runs in the first and second, and three in third, led by Jimmy Puscheck’s two-run homer. Siena finally broke through in the fifth with three runs, as Allen had a two-run triple and Balkwill contributed an RBI double.
Panas led Canisius with four hits and three RBI, while Torralba contributed three hits, three RBI and scored three runs. Puscheck, who was the tournament’s MVP, was 4-of-11 with a double, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI, hitting .364 in Canisius’ three wins.
Allen was 4-for-4 with three RBI, and Balkwill added a double and a homer, three RBI and three runs scored for Siena. The Saints ended their season with a 27-30 record.
Griffs’ reliever Jon Fitzsimmons earned the victory with three innings of relief, allowing three runs, four hits and striking out three. Brantley, who was Siena’s fifth hurler, absorbed the loss.
Canisius also earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that accompanies the MAAC tournament title, its first ever. The Golden Griffs will learn their tourney fate on Monday at noon when The NCAA Baseball Tournament selection show will be televised live on ESPNU.
Canisius improved to 42-15, setting program and MAAC records for victories in a single season.
This year’s MAAC Championship was especially satisfying for the Griffs, who won their first two games in the 2012 tournament before losing two straight to Manhattan, which came out of the loser’s bracket to win the last year’s Championship.