NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Canisius Golden Griffins scored five runs in the sixth inning and held off a late Manhattan Jaspers rally to win 5-4 in the first game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday, April 24, 2026.

Canisius improved to 13-22 overall, while Manhattan fell to 15-22. Each team collected eight hits.

The game remained scoreless through five innings. Manhattan starter Hudson Pergamit worked into the sixth, scattering four hits and striking out one. Canisius starter Felix Morin allowed two hits over six scoreless innings before exiting after a leadoff single in the seventh.

Canisius broke through in the top of the sixth. JC Spinosa singled up the middle and advanced to second on a hit by pitch to Brayden Hy. Andrew Marcello then singled up the middle, driving in Spinosa and moving Hy to third. Marcello advanced to second on the throw. After a pitching change to Chris Fidanza, Owen Silliman tripled to left field, clearing the bases with two runs. Thomas Zwirecki followed with an RBI single, scoring Silliman. The five-run outburst gave Canisius a 5-0 lead.

Manhattan answered in the bottom of the sixth. Andreaus Lewis singled to right field and moved to third on a double by Vincent Samuel. Justin Best hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Lewis and cutting the lead to 5-1.

The Jaspers mounted a more serious threat in the eighth. Sam Staerker came on in relief for Canisius. Lewis walked and advanced to second on a balk. Samuel singled to center, moving Lewis to third. After a strikeout, Trevor Hansen singled to right field, driving in Lewis and sending Samuel to second. Colin Basehore then doubled on a ground-rule shot to right, scoring Samuel and Hansen to make it 5-3. Jackson Babione, pinch-hitting for Payton Matthews, grounded out to shortstop, allowing Basehore to advance to third and Hansen to score, trimming the margin to 5-4. But Ryan Lordier grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Canisius went down in order in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Manhattan’s Guriyandel Salva flied out to left, and Hunter Sute and Andreaus Lewis struck out swinging to end the game.

For Manhattan, Vincent Samuel went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Colin Basehore also finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Trevor Hansen drove in a run with a single, and Justin Best had a sacrifice fly. Jackson Babione recorded an RBI on a groundout in his only plate appearance.

For Canisius, Owen Silliman tripled and drove in two runs in the decisive sixth. Thomas Zwirecki added an RBI single. Andrew Marcello singled and drove in a run.

On the mound, Pergamit lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out one. Fidanza threw 3 2/3 innings of relief, surrendering two hits and one earned run with five strikeouts. Staerker pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up three runs — none on hits — with four strikeouts.

The most important part of the game was Canisius’s five-run sixth inning. After five scoreless frames, the Golden Griffins strung together four hits — including Silliman’s two-run triple — and took advantage of a Manhattan fielding error and a wild pitch to seize a five-run cushion. That outburst proved decisive when the Jaspers rallied for a combined four runs in the sixth and eighth innings but could not complete the comeback.

The two teams were scheduled to play the second game of the doubleheader later Friday. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Manhattan with a 51.00 percent probability to win the opener.