The Quinnipiac baseball team avoided a three-game sweep at Canisius, defeating the Golden Griffins 10-8 in the series finale Sunday afternoon. 

Redshirt junior designated hitter Sean Swenson led the Bobcat offense, going 2-4 from the plate with a homer, double and three RBI’s. Junior catcher Keegan O’Connor also had a big day, tying his career high with four RBI’s. 

Similar to the first two games of the series, Canisius struck first. Sophomore outfielder Jackson Strong started the bottom of the first with a leadoff homer off senior pitcher Kevin Seitter. The Golden Griffins’ offense didn’t stop there, as junior infielder Max Grant doubled on the ensuing at-bat. Senior outfielder Kenny Dodson brought Grant home two batters later, as the hosts jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage.

However, Quinnipiac didn’t back down. Following a walk by senior infielder McGwire Tuffy, Swenson’s two-run homer allowed the Bobcats to strike for two in the top of the second to even the game. The hosts took the lead back in the bottom half of the inning, though as Grant, who had already doubled in the first, singled to bring in another Golden Griffin run. 

Both pitchers settled in, as the two sides went down quietly in the third, but it didn’t last long. 

Quinnipiac batted around in the top of the fourth, hanging a seven spot on the top seed in the MAAC. Tuffy got the inning started for the visitors, rocketing a double into the gap. Swenson picked up his third RBI of the day on the next at-bat, as Tuffy touched home to tie the game on a Swenson double. The Indianapolis native then moved to third on a wild pitch, before sliding home on a passed ball to put the Bobcats in front. 

One passed ball wasn’t enough, as senior outfielder Braydon Seaburg crossed the plate after another passed ball to make it 5-3 Quinnipiac. The Bobcats were able to load the bases with two outs in the inning, and O’Connor cleared them with an explosive grand slam, catapulting Quinnipiac to a six-run advantage.

Strong’s sac fly in the bottom half of the fourth kept Canisius within four. Even with the large deficit, the Golden Griffins kept battling. Canisius scored two unearned runs in the frame, one on an infield single and another on a wild pitch as the Bobcat’s lead was trimmed to three. 

Seitter was lights out in the fifth, but Quinnipiac head coach John Delaney made the move to remove the senior as his pitch count broke 100. Delaney threw freshman pitcher Matt Alduino in the sixth, who gave up two earned runs to Canisius in Friday’s loss. This time, Alduino got the job done, setting down the lone three batters he faced. 

Sophomore pitcher Mason Ulsh took the mound for all three of the final inning for the Bobcats, giving up runs in both the seventh and ninth, but it was just enough to get the save as Quinnipiac avoided the three-game sweep. 

Quinnipiac moved back to over .500 (8-7) in MAAC play with the win. The Bobcats are back in action on April 25 against Bryant in Rhode Island. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.