POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- All nine Canisius starters had at least one hit and senior pitcher Mallory Aldred posted her 13th shutout win of the season as the Golden Griffins beat Niagara 9-0 in the MAAC Softball Tournament Saturday afternoon at Marist's Gartland Park. The win gives Canisius its third-straight MAAC Tournament title and allows the program to secure the conference's automatic bid into the 2009 NCAA Division I Softball Championship.
Canisius senior Cameron Norton was named the MAAC Tournament MVP after she hit .667 for the four games with three homers, six RBIs, five runs scored and a 1.500 slugging percentage. Joining Norton on the All-Tournament Team was Aldred, who earned all three of the team's wins in the circle, senior Rachelle Barrientos, junior Michelle Fridey, and freshman Lizzy Gatto.
The Griffs jumped on Niagara (30-19) early and often in the championship final, posting seven runs in the first two innings of the game. The Blue and Gold scored first on an RBI-single by Norton, who was followed by Fridey and her RBI-base knock to right field. After Norton crossed the plate on a throwing error, freshman Katie Lancellotti ripped a double down the right field line to drive in Fridey from third to give the Blue and Gold a 4-0 cushion.
The Griffs added three more runs in the second on the power of home runs by Gatto and Norton. The seven-run margin allowed Aldred to go to work, and she did just that, allowing just four hits to go with seven strikeouts in seven innings of work. Michelle Krier took the loss for Niagara after she gave up six runs on seven hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Norton had three hits, knocked in two runs and drove in two in the win over the Purple Eagles, while Barrientos, Fridey, Lancellotti and Paige Freiberger all had multiple hits in the victory.
Niagara forced a seventh and deciding game of the tournament by beat the Griffs 2-0 in the first game. After playing 5.5 scoreless innings, the Purple Eagles scored two runs in the sixth to seal the win. Julie DiMatteo earned the win for Niagara in the first game after she gave up just three hits and struck out four.
Canisius will learn its opponent and location for the regional round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament when the full tournament bracket is released Sunday, May 10, at 10 p.m. The Selection Show will be live on ESPNU.
Game Notes: This marks Canisius' 12th MAAC Tournament championship and this will be the program's 11th trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last 15 years... The Griffs have now played Niagara 101 times and eight times in the MAAC Tournament with the Blue and Gold holding a 5-3 all-time series lead in the postseason... The Griffs have not allowed a run in the last three MAAC Championship games, defeating Marist (2007 and 2008) and Niagara (2009) by a combined score of 19-0... The Blue and Gold have won the last three conference tournaments played at Marist's Gartland Park... Norton raised her batting average by 34 points in the MAAC Tournament after going 8-for-12 in the four games... Her homer in the second game Saturday was the 13th of her career, which ties her for sixth all-time in school history with former Griff Jill Iacono... Aldred's 13 shutous this season is the second most for a Canisius pitcher in a single season - Kristin Spak holds the school record for shutouts in a year with 15 in 1995.
