Baseball Falls in MAAC Tournament to Marist

TRENTON, N.J. ? The Canisius College baseball team answered a Marist lead three times but wasn't able to do it the fourth time as the Golden Griffins lost 7-6 to Marist in the first game of the 2009 MAAC Baseball Championship at Waterfront Park in Trenton, N.J. on Thursday night.

Junior Shayne Willson led the Griffs with three hits on the day while senior Branson Joseph and sophomore Steve McQuail each had two hits with Joseph recording three RBI and McQuail posting a two-run homer.

Canisius (33-21) will play in the losers' bracket game on Friday, facing the loser of the Manhattan-Rider game. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.

Marist scored in the top of the fourth before Willson tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. After Marist went up 3-1 in the top of the fifth, McQuail tied the game with a two-out, two-run homer down the left-field line in the bottom of the sixth.

Marist (28-26) took the lead again in the seventh, but Canisus answered again in the bottom of the inning. Ian Choy drew a two-out walk, Kevin Mailloux singled and Kevin Mahoney drew a walk to load the bases. Joseph then jumped on the first pitch from Marist reliever Jacob Wiley and sent a grounder through the right side to tie the game at 5-5.

Marist took its fourth lead of the game on a two-out, two-run triple from Jon Schwind in the top of the eighth. The Griffs rallied in the bottom of the ninth with Mahoney extending the game with a two-out single. Joseph followed with a triple to the gap in left center, representing the tying run. Wiley was able to strike out Willson and close out the win.

Mike Goemans took the loss for the Griffs, allowing seven runs, five earned, in 7.1 innings of work. Wiley earned the win for Marist while Josh Rickards started for the Red Foxes and went 6.2 innings and allowed five runs, eight hits and walked six.

Game Notes: Senior Brian Gibbs batted in the leadoff spot for the Griffs for the second time this season... Choy reached base in four of his five plate appearances on the day... Prior to Thursday's game, Joseph had three hits in 20 at-bats in the MAAC Championship... Marist has now taken three of four from Canisius on the season... Mahoney had two runs in the game and now has 65 on the season.

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Players Mentioned

#17 Ian Choy: OF; 5' 9"; Junior

#25 Brian Gibbs: 1B; 6' 1"; Senior

#19 Mike Goemans: P; 6' 4"; Junior

#2 Branson Joseph: OF; 6' 0"; Senior

#4 Kevin Mahoney: 3B; 6' 0"; Senior

#12 Kevin Mailloux: 2B; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior

#1 Steve McQuail: IF; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#9 Shayne Willson: OF; 6' 2"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#17 Ian Choy
: 5' 9"; Junior
: OF

#25 Brian Gibbs
: 6' 1"; Senior
: 1B

#19 Mike Goemans
: 6' 4"; Junior
: P

#2 Branson Joseph
: 6' 0"; Senior
: OF

#4 Kevin Mahoney
: 6' 0"; Senior
: 3B

#12 Kevin Mailloux
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior
: 2B

#1 Steve McQuail
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: IF

#9 Shayne Willson
: 6' 2"; Junior
: OF