Baseball

Rider, Canisius, Niagara Grab Victories on Day Two of the 2022 MAAC Baseball Championships

SCHEDULE UPDATE: GAME 7 (9 AM), GAME 8 (12:30 AM), GAME 9 (4 PM)

No. 5 Rider - 4 | No. 1 Fairfield - 3 (12 innings)
CLOVER STADIUM | POMONA, NY
Box Score
 
After Fairfield jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Rider responded in the fourth with three runs of their own capped by a Jake Barbiere single into left center field to score Luke Lesch to take the lead. Fairfield would tack on another run in the sixth, however they would not score again once Cal Stalzer would enter the game in the seventh. Stalzer would go on to pitch 5.2 innings, allow no hits, and strike out five batters on 97 pitches to earn the victory.
 
Socrates Bardatsos delivered the go-ahead RBI on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning to score Jack Winsett, before Stalzer came back out in the bottom half to slam the door on Fairfield. The Broncs will take on Canisius at 9 am tomorrow morning.
 
Rider Notes and Notables
  • Stalzer threw a career-high 5.2 innings in the win.
  • Rider beat Fairfield in 12 innings during the regular season as well, 4-3.
  • Bardatsos broke the Rider single-season walks record (39).
  • Vince Vitacco went 6.1 innings, allowing three earned runs, while striking out two batters on 84 pitches.
  • John Volpe and Luke Lesch recorded multi-hit performances for the Broncs.
 
Fairfield Notes and Notables
  • Michael Sansone went seven innings, striking out 10 batters, allowing six hits and three earned runs.
  • Matt Venuto went 2-4 with two runs, an RBI, a double, and a triple.
  • Matt Zaffino went 2-4 with two RBI; his two RBI set a Fairfield single-season record (55).
  • Charlie Pagliarini went 1-3 with a run and two walks.
  • Fairfield will play Niagara at 12:30 pm tomorrow afternoon.
 
No. 3 Canisius – 12 | No. 2 Marist – 1
CLOVER STADIUM | POMONA, NY
Box Score
 
After six strikeouts through three innings, Canisius finally got to Marist starter Erubiel Candelario in the top of the fourth. A Mike DeStefano go-ahead single to score Kyle Kush put the Griffs ahead and they did not look back. Max Grant would hit a two-run home run in the next at-bat to put the Griffs up 4-1.
 
In the fifth, Trevor Henneman drove Candelario’s 117th and final pitch over the left field wall to blow the game open for Canisius. The Griffs tacked on five more runs in the fifth and sixth to claim their second consecutive run-rule victory.
 
 
Canisius Notes and Notables
  • Trevor Henneman went 2-2 with a home run, two runs, four RBI and a walk.
  • Max Grant finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-4 with a HR, 2B, two runs and two RBI.
  • Mike Steffan went 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
  • Seven of the nine Griffs’ starters recorded at least an RBI in the victory.
  • Chris Pouliot went five innings, struck out three, gave up six hits and one unearned run on 101 pitches to earn the win.
  • Dylan Vincent’s seventh inning RBI single was the 100th hit of his career.
 
Marist Notes and Notables
  • Erubiel Candelario went 4.2 innings, struck out six hitters and allowed three earned runs.
  • Robbie Armitage went 3-4 including a triple in the loss, the lone Red Fox to record multiple hits.
  • Trevor Backman threw one scoreless inning in relief.
  • The Red Foxes got their run when Marco Ali reach on a fielding error in the bottom of the second to score Johnny Decker.
  • The loss forces the Red Foxes to Game Six in the 2022 MAAC Baseball Championships against Niagara.
 
No. 6 Niagara 7 | No. 2 Marist 4
CLOVER STADIUM | POMONA, NY
Box Score
 
Niagara fell behind in the second inning, 4-0 after Marco Ali’s bases-clearing double and Gene Napolitano’s RBI double. However, six Niagara relief pitchers would go on to shutout Marist for the final 7.1 innings of play. The Purple Eagles also went on to score seven unanswered runs to pull out the come from behind victory.
 
It was Benny Serrano’s fifth inning double down the right field that scored Max Giordano and Cole O’Connor that would tie it up for Niagara before Matt Ward ripped a go-ahead single into left field that ultimately gave Niagara the lead and the win.
 
Niagara Notes and Notables
  • Six Niagara relievers limited Marist hitters to four hits over the final 7.1 innings of play.
  • Tommy Bednarski earned the win in relief, striking out two in his lone inning of work.
  • Dawson Bailey went 4-5 with a double and two runs.
  • Cole O’Connor went 3-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI.
  • Benny Serrano  went 2-3 with a double, two RBI, and a run.
  • Advance to the MAAC Championship Semifinals for the first time since 2005.
 
Marist Notes and Notables
  • Marist finished the season 29-17 and 17-5 in MAAC play.
  • Drake Quinn went two innings in relief, struck out two and allowed two hits.
  • Reece Armitage finished 1-3 with two walks.
  • Marco Ali contributed to all four runs for the Red Foxes with three RBI and a run in the second inning.
 
For more information regarding the 2022 MAAC Baseball Championships and to purchase tickets, visit maacsports.com or use the ticketing link found here.
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.