By DAVID DOBRASZ
BUFFALO, N.Y. — McQuaid Jesuit (5-2) traveled to Buffalo and suffered its second loss of the season on Tuesday in a battle of the two top Jesuit schools in the region.
Canisius (2-3) used a five-run second inning and knocked off McQuaid, 5-3 on a windy evening from Coppola Family Field in the first of two meetings between the teams this season.
“That was not our brand of baseball,” McQuaid head coach Tony Fuller said after the loss. “I’m always going to be confident in our group to be better.”
Senior Samuel Stone finished the game with two RBI, the first of which came on a sacrifice fly to right field in the second. Collin Petruzzelli lined a double off the left-field fence with one down in the frame, and the senior stole third before scoring the second run of the ball game. Ian Fleck led off the fourth with a single and scored after Stone grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Wyatt Gray had a one-out base hit past a diving Gio Amodeo at third to give the Knights a runner in the seventh to conclude a nine-pitch at-bat. Luca Ciaramitaro provided an infield single to the left side to open up the fifth.
John Wilmarth scored on an error in the top of the first after a throw down from third traveled over the head of the Crusaders’ third basemen. The left fielder drew a five-pitch walk with two down in the frame and proceeded to steal second before scoring.
Cole Englerth struck out three and scattered four hits in three innings of relief. The sophomore struck out the final two Canisius batters to close the sixth and keep it a two-run game.
“We were in the baseball game to the last at bat, but today was not the day we were looking for,” Fuller said.
Down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the second, the Crusaders responded with one out and the bases loaded when Charlie Gill lined a 3-2 pitch to left field to plate Triton Travale and Vito Verni. Amodeo doubled to center field to drive in another run, and Jameson Chalupka’s sacrifice fly brought home Justin Ball for the go-ahead run.
McQuaid had won three prior to this meeting, including victories over Langley (4-2), West Jessamine (9-8) and Scott County (6-4).
The Knights are scheduled to face three Section VI opponents in the next five days (Canisius, Orchard Park and St. Joe’s), with a rematch versus the Crusaders on Thursday.
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