HAMDEN, Conn. – Following a sweep of Niagara on Sunday afternoon, the Quinnipiac softball teams were the ones who were swept Monday, as the reigning MAAC champion Canisius Golden Griffins defeated the Bobcats 4-2 in game one, before dominating the hosts 11-0 in game two. 

Pitching for the second straight day, Quinnipiac turned to sophomore pitchers Sydney Horan and Jaclyn Gonzalez, who weren’t able to find the same success they did against the Purple Eagles.

Things started well for Quinnipiac in game one, graduate student catcher Hannah Davis’ two-run homer helped the Bobcats jump out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. 

🚨 HANNAH DAVIS HOMER ALERT 🚨

Bobcats up by ✌️ pic.twitter.com/sz969fg3zY

— Quinnipiac Softball (@QU_Softball) April 3, 2023

Horan worked through the first four innings effortlessly but ultimately ran into trouble in the fifth. 

Sophomore outfielder Alyssa Cloutier came into pinch run for the Golden Griffins after the visitors got its leadoff batter on. Cloutier made her way to third before attempting to come home on a passed ball but was tagged out at home by Davis. Although it appeared Davis had dropped the ball while trying to make the tag, the call stood following a discussion by the umpires. 

However, the Golden Griffins still threatened with just one out and a runner on third. Junior pitcher Megan Giese singled up the middle, cutting the Bobcats’ lead to one while also giving herself run support. 

The Bobcats looked like they had gotten the inning under control, until senior infielder Lala Pascual couldn’t field a routine throw from freshman infielder Natalia Apatiga, allowing another run to score on the error, tying the game at two. 

That was all the momentum Canisius needed, as Giese continued to deal, allowing just two Bobcat batters to reach base in the fifth and sixth to halt the Quinnipiac offense. 

The Golden Griffins broke through in the seventh, taking the lead once and for all. Junior infielder Destiny Falquez started the inning with a one-hop double off the wall, and on the ensuing at-bat junior catcher Gianna Fazzolari sent a shot that cleared the wall in left-center to put the visitors ahead. 

Just like she had done in the previous two innings, Giese slammed the door shut in the bottom half of the seventh to seal the game-one victory for the Golden Griffins. 

Using the momentum from game one, Canisius jumped out to a four-run first inning in game two. 

Quinnipiac head coach Hillary Smith decided to start Horan again in game two. However, after the four-run first inning, even though none of the runs were earned, Smith had seen enough and replaced her with Gonzalez. 

Gonzalez allowed another run in the second, as graduate student infielder Nicole Rivait found grass in right field, allowing a Golden Griffin to fly in from second base. 

The 5-0 deficit proved too much for Quinnipiac to overcome, as the Bobcat’s offense was completely dominated by graduate student pitcher Alexis Churchill. The St. Clair, Michigan, native threw seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits.

Canisius’ offense, however, added insult to injury in the final frame. The Golden Griffins offense shelled Gonzalez for four more runs in the seventh, as the sophomore pitcher exited with two outs in the seventh and a nine-run deficit. 

Junior pitcher Tori McGraw, just like her fellow pitchers, didn’t find much success slowing down the Golden Griffins. Canisius tacked on two more runs, pushing the lead out to 11. Following the script of the afternoon, the Bobcat’s bats were silent in the bottom half of the inning. 

The 11-0 victory completed the doubleheader sweep for Canisius, as Quinnipiac dropped to 2-2 in MAAC play and 13-11 overall. 

After playing four games in two days, the Bobcats will have a few days to rest before continuing conference play on April 7 in Fairfield against the Stags.