NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University softball team (15-19) split a non-conference doubleheader with Cleveland State (21-19) Wednesday. The Purple Eagles won the first game, 7-6 in eight innings, but then dropped the nightcap, 5-4, at Niagara Field.
The Purple Eagles return to action this weekend when they travel to Riverdale, N.Y., to take on Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe Manhattan. First pitch of the doubleheader at Gaelic Park is 9 a.m.
Game 1 - Niagara 7, Cleveland State 6 (8 innings)
Niagara senior Kristina Kilian (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) hit a two-out single to right center field to score senior Cheryl Julicher (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville) in the bottom of the eighth to extend Niagara’s winning streak to four games and end Cleveland State’s school-record 11-game winning streak.
After trailing 4-1, Niagara exploded for six runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-4 lead when freshman Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.) led off with a double to center field. Julicher walked and junior Amanda Baluch (Delanson, N.Y.) then doubled Sum and Julicher home. Sophomore Shannon Mongalise (Bethel, Pa.) hit a pinch-hit single up the middle. Junior Jamie Horn (Youngstown, N.Y./Youngstown) forced in pinch runner Linzi Scarfone (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) on a fielder’s choice. After a wild pitch putting Horn and Mongalise on second and third, Mongalise scored on another wild pitch, and senior Angie Clarke (Grafton, Ont.) singled in Horn.
Cleveland State tied the game in the seventh when Michelle Beightol tripled to right center and scored two runs.
Niagara tallied its first run of the game in the third when Julicher got on base on a fielder’s choice, went to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a sacrifice hit by Kilian.
Viking Kortney Spidell cranked a two-out three-run home run in the third inning to put Cleveland State up 4-0.
Freshman Lisa Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca) was 2 for 4 and Sum was 2 for 4. Senior Andrea Crapo (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) won her sixth game of the season, coming into the game in relief. She went two and a third innings and allowed four hits and two runs while striking out two.
Game 2 - Cleveland State 5, Niagara 4
Niagara scored two runs on two outs in the bottom of the seventh and had bases loaded but Cleveland State made a play at home plate and its third out at first base to win the nightcap of the doubleheader.
Baluch singled to third and Horn was hit by a pitch. With pinch runners Clarke and Lisa Hess (Youngstown, N.Y./Lewiston-Porter) at first and second, Mongalise hit a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Baker then singled left center to score Clarke. Senior Bradi Cochrane (Harriston, Ont.) then got with an error at third base, Hess scored but Mongalise was thrown out at the plate. With Baker at third and Cochrane at first, Sum was called out at first for the final out.
Niagara struck first in the fourth inning with two runs when Sum got on a fielder’s choice, moved to third on a double by Julicher and then scored on a fielder’s choice by Baluch. Julicher got the second run on the same play on an error by the Cleveland State catcher.
Cleveland State took a two-run lead in the top of the sixth when J.J. Thornberry singled in Michele Penney who got on board with a single and a two-base error. Beightol then hit a two-out, three-run triple to right field for the Vikings lead.
The Vikings increased their lead in the seventh when Thornberry doubled in Anna Hubert with two outs on the scoreboard.
Crapo took the loss for Niagara, throwing two and a third innings and giving up seven hits and five runs. Spidell got the win, throwing a four-hitter with three strikeouts.
