WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. (Interstat) — Merrimack starter Borsari, J. and three relievers combined on a four-hit shutout as the Warriors defeated Canisius 7-0 on Wednesday afternoon in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship.

The Golden Griffins, who entered the game at 21-25 overall, managed only four singles and a double while striking out three times and leaving six runners on base. Merrimack improved to 27-27.

Merrimack seized control in the bottom of the first inning. DeShiro, M. was hit by a pitch, Craigue, B. singled, and after a strikeout, Cristino, G. reached on a fielder’s choice that loaded the bases on a fielding error by second baseman Eric Weeks. Hamilton, J. then singled to left, driving in two runs, the first coming home on a fielding error by left fielder Bremner, J. that allowed Craigue to score unearned. The Warriors led 2-0 after one.

Canisius threatened in the second when Herman, B. singled and Marcello, A. walked with two outs, but Silliman, O. lined out to shortstop to end the inning. The Griffins put two more runners on in the fourth on a single by Zwirecki, T., but a double play erased him. In the fifth, Silliman walked and stole second but was left stranded.

Merrimack added a run in the fifth. Scanlon, C. walked, stole second, and scored on a single up the middle by DeShiro, making it 3-0.

The game’s decisive moment came in the seventh inning. After the first batter grounded out, Canisius reliever Elkovitch, W. replaced starter Morin, F. Scanlon walked, and Goode, C. reached on another error by second baseman Weeks. DeShiro walked to load the bases. Craigue doubled to left, clearing the bases for two runs, then Frammartino doubled to right, scoring two more. The four-run outburst made it 7-0. Albano, N. and Rudge, T. finished the game on the mound for Canisius, allowing no further damage.

Canisius’s best scoring chance came in the eighth. Silliman doubled to left, Kaufman, T. was hit by a pitch, and Cox, B. reached on a fielder’s choice to put runners at first and second with one out. But reliever Bradshaw, M. induced a flyout and a groundout to end the inning. In the ninth, Zwirecki reached on an error and Spinosa, J. singled, but Herman grounded into a forceout and Marcello grounded out to third to end the game.

The Warriors collected multiple hits in the first, fifth and seventh innings. DeShiro, Craigue, Frammartino, Hamilton, and Goode all reached base. Canisius’s only extra-base hit was Silliman’s double.

The game was the first meeting between the teams since March, when Canisius won two of three in Buffalo. The Griffins had entered the tournament after sweeping Siena in three games the previous weekend. Merrimack arrived after a two-game sweep of Quinnipiac.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Merrimack 7, Canisius 6, and its ELO system gave the Warriors a 52.20 percent probability of winning.