The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Canisius
Five-Run Fifth Inning Pushes Baseball to 8-5 Win Over Canisius
April 09 | Baseball
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Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. – A five-run fifth inning propelled The University of Akron (16-14) baseball team to an 8-5 victory over Canisius College (19-11) on Wednesday afternoon at the Demske Sports Complex.
Junior Pat Dyer improved to 2-2 on the season after earning the win at Canisius. The southpaw pitched 7.0 innings with one run allowed, one walk and six strikeouts. Dyer's inning and strikeout totals on Wednesday are season highs.
The Zips acted quickly against the Griffs, as UA took a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first. Junior Matt Rembielak recorded the first hit of the day, and advanced to third on a groundout by Devan Ahart. Canisius's starting pitcher Josh Shepley then threw a wild pitch, allowing Rembielak to advance to home for UA's first run of the day.
The Golden Griffins fought back to tie the game at 1-1 with one run in the bottom of the third. Canisius's Mike Krische scored from third while Akron caught Connor Panas trying to steal second base. Redshirt freshman Evan Jensen made his first collegiate start at catcher for UA, accruing his first career base runner caught stealing.
The 1-1 tie would not last long, with junior Danny Lawrence and sophomore Billy Salem recording RBI singles in the top of the fourth to give UA a 3-1 lead. Lawrence has three RBI in 15 games played this season.
Dyer tossed a scoreless bottom of the fourth, allowing Akron to extend the lead heading into the fifth. Sophomore Daulton Mosbarger kick started the inning with a leadoff triple to right-center, his first three-bagger of 2014. Rembielak followed with an RBI single to left to plate Mosbarger for the first run of the inning.
Senior Grant Alvarez singled to right and Lawrence drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Meeker made it back-to-back walks as he also drew a four-pitch walk, driving in Rembielak from third on the free pass. Salem, a Willoughby Hills, Ohio native, then delivered a bases-loaded triple to bring the game to an 8-1 Akron advantage.
Canisius added a run on a wild pitch by Zips' reliever Andrew Fanning in the bottom of the eighth, cutting Akron's lead to 8-2. Fanning finished the contest with one run allowed and one strikeout in his lone inning of the game.
Sophomore Zach Beaver had a shaky ninth, allowing a three-run homer to the Griffins' Anthony Massicci and a total of four base hits in the inning. However, Beaver worked through it and finished off the game, giving Akron the 8-5 win.
Overall, Akron posted nine base hits, seven RBI, and three walks. Alvarez had a team-high and tied a career-high with three base hits in the win, to go along with a career mark of two runs scored and two doubles. Salem registered a career-high four RBI in his 2-for-4 performance at Canisius.
Rembielak, Alvarez, and Lawrence had two runs scored apiece. Rembielak, who had two hits Wednesday, has 10 base knocks in the past six games.
Akron has won three consecutive midweek matchups after Wednesday's victory over Canisius.
Zips baseball will look ahead to a three-game Mid-American Conference series against the Ohio University Bobcats, beginning on Friday at 3 p.m., on Lee R. Jackson Field. UA took two of three games from OU last season in Athens, Ohio.
