LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – Senior centerfielder Dan Swain became the 13th member of the program’s 200-Hit Club in Siena Baseball’s doubleheader split with Canisius at Siena Field. The Saints scored six unearned runs in the fifth to take the opener 8-3, while the Golden Griffins rallied to earn a split with a 4-2 triumph in the nightcap.
Game One: Siena 8, Canisius 3
Junior first baseman Joe Drpich continued his recent tear with four hits, and sophomore ace Tommy Miller tossed eight strong innings to lead Siena (12-17-1, 5-3) to the Game One victory.
Sophomore third baseman Brian Kelly added a pair of hits, including a two-run homer in the first to open the scoring.
Canisius (19-14, 3-5) got a run back in the second, and took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on back-to-back run-scoring hits from Tim Kensinger and Stephen Bennett.
But the Saints batted around, sending 10 men to the plate in the decisive fifth inning. The Golden Griffins should have been out of the inning unscathed, but an error by second baseman Joseph Preziuso on what should have been the final out left the door open, and the Saints kicked it down.
The next four Siena batters all reached base safely. Freshman rightfielder Zach Durfee put the Saints in front with an RBI single, and three batters later Swain cleared the bases with his milestone hit – a three-run double to left – to cap the scoring.
Miller did the rest, scattering seven hits and three runs, while striking out seven and walking just one to earn his fourth victory.
Game Two: Canisius 4, Siena 2 (7)
Leadoff hitter Liam Wilson homered and drove in three runs to propel Canisius to the doubleheader split. Wilson delivered a two-run home run in the third, and catcher William Krull had the go-ahead RBI single in the fourth.
Siena took an early lead in the second inning on freshman leftfielder Chris Davignon’s second RBI single of the afternoon. After the Golden Griffins claimed the lead on Wilson’s blast, Drpich deposited an opposite field home run of his own over the left field fence to knot the score.
Kelly followed with what looked to be the go-ahead home run in almost the exact same spot, but Canisius leftfielder Mark McKenna reached over the fence to pull it back in. Nonetheless, Kelly finished with two more hits in the nightcap as his average swelled to .384 on the season.
J.P. Stevenson went the first 5.1 innings to earn the win for the Golden Griffins, while closer Tyler Smith struck out all five batters that he faced to lock down his sixth save.
Siena will look to try and win its 10th straight MAAC series when the teams meet in the rubber game Saturday at noon.
