NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University baseball team (14-18, 8-4) dropped both games of doubleheader to Fairfield (12-16, 7-7) Saturday at John P. Bobo Field.
Despite a four-hit effort by freshman pitcher Josh Sawatzky (Altona, Man./W.C. Miller) in game two of the doubleheader, a three-run fifth inning led the Stags to a 3-2 victory over the Purple Eagles.
In the earlier game, with the game tied 4-4 heading into the eighth inning, Fairfield added runs in the eighth and ninth innings to defeat Niagara, 6-4.
The final game of the three-game series takes place Sunday at Bobo Field, with game time set for noon.
Game 1 - Fairfield 6, Niagara 4
The Stags took a 6-4 lead with runs in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, Jim Girolamo hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score David Soucy. Antuan Barnett scored the sixth run when Sal Mancuso singled to left center.
Senior Tim Fitzgerald (Orchard Park, N.Y./Canisius) tied the game with a two-out solo home run to right field in the bottom of the seventh.
Sophomore Mike Alati (Woodbridge, Ont./St. Michael’s) brought the Purple Eagles within one run with a sole home run to right field, his second of the season.
Fairfield regained the lead in the third when Girolamo doubled in John Scaife. Girolamo then scored on a stolen base. In the fourth, Soucy singled in Barnett to take a 4-2 lead.
Niagara took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second when sophomore Andrew MacNevin (St. Catherines, P.E.I./Bluefield) cranked a home run to right field, his fourth of the season, and scored Paul Solini (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) who got on with a walk.
Fairfield scored first when Nick Hudyma singled between third base and shortstop, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a wild pitch.
Game 2 - Fairfield 3, Niagara 2
Three Fairfield runs in the fifth inning led the visiting Stags to the 3-2 win in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader with the Purple Eagles.
Taking a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning, Niagara allowed the first three Stag batters to reach base and eventually score. Junior Mark Geanuleas opened the inning off for Fairfield, reaching second after an errant throw to first base by Purple Eagles third baseman Greg Lehman (Croghan, N.Y./Jefferson C.C.). After Soucy single, moving Geanuleas to third, Stags senior outfielder Jim Sheridan doubled to bring in two runs for Fairfield. Sheridan would later score on single by Girolamo.
Niagara could not overcome the two-run lead over the next two-and-a-half innings.
Junior Vince Ircandia (Calgary, Alb./Central) and Lehman led the Purple Eagles in the loss, each getting two hits and scoring a run, with Ircandia stealing two bases to bring his season total to 13.
Sawatzky walked three, while striking out nine, over seven innings for Niagara. Tim Dugans earned the win for Fairfield, striking out six batters and giving up nine hits in his third complete game of the season.
