NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University baseball team (26-25, 16-9) defeated Canisius (4-43, 4-23), 11-1, in the season finale at John P. Bobo Field Friday. With the win, the Purple Eagles garnered the No. 2 seed in next weekend’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, played at Dutchess Stadium, in Fishkill, N.Y.
On senior day, all three Niagara seniors -- Tim Fitzgerald (Orchard Park, N.Y.), Greg Lehman (Croghan, N.Y.) and Jeff Finucane (Rochester, N.Y.) -- contributed in the 10-run victory over the Golden Griffins.
During his first at-bat, Fitzgerald, who finished 2 for 4 with one run batted in and two runs scored, singled-in junior Vince Ircandia (Calgary, Alb.) to score the first run of the contest and give Niagara a 1-0 lead. Ircandia opened the game with a triple to right field.
Lehman, who went 2 of 4 with two RBI and a run scored, opened the seventh inning with a solo home run to right field, his fourth home run of the season. Finucane pitched a scoreless eighth inning to help preserve the win.
The Purple Eagles opened the game scoring seven runs over the first four innings, led off by two runs in the opening inning. After Fitzgerald drove-in Ircandia for the first run in the first inning, sophomore Paul Solini (Liverpool, N.Y.) hit a double to right, scoring Fitzgerald from first.
In the third inning, sophomore Mike Alati (Woodbridge, Ont.) hit a solo home run to right, his fourth of the season, giving the Purple Eagles a 4-0 lead.
Niagara took a commanding 7-0 lead following the fourth inning, in which junior Reed Eastley (Brandon, Man.) and Solini hits back-to-back singles, scoring three runs.
In the contest, the Purple Eagles pounded out 15 hits, bringing the total to 52 hits in the three-game series against the Griffs, an encouraging effort according to head coach Mike McRae.
"You always like entering the postseason following a good offensive performance," McRae said. "We dodged a bullet in game one, but we still found a way to win and that helps the team prepare for the postseason."
Allowing only five hits in six innings, freshman Ryan Virtue (Altona, Man.) picked up his sixth win of the season. Virtue gave up one run while striking out three and walking one in the win. Also pitching in the contest and helping to limit Canisius to eight hits were Finucane, freshman Daniel Griffin (Schenectady, N.Y.) and Jeff St. Denis (Mississauga, Ont.).
The Purple Eagles face either Marist or Manhattan in their first game of next week’s MAAC Tournament. The tournament is set to begin Thursday.
"I think we just need to put a game together. All three facets of the game: pitching, fielding and hitting. Because we have all the ingredients needed for success (next weekend)," McRae said.
