LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Niagara University baseball team (18-19, 10-5) split its doubleheader with Rider University (15-22, 7-10) Saturday at Daly Field, in Lawrenceville, N.J., winning the first game, 13-7, but falling in the second game 10-9. The two teams play the third game of the three-game series Sunday at noon.

Niagara remains in third place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings, with a 10-5 conference record.

Behind a season-high 22 hits, the Purple Eagles extended their winning streak to four games, defeating the Broncs, 13-7, in game one of the doubleheader.

Down 3-2 heading into the fourth inning, Niagara scored eight runs over the next two innings to take a 10-6 lead over Rider, a lead the Purple Eagles would not relinquish.

In the fourth inning, after an Andrew MacNevin (St. Catherines, P.E.I./Bluefield) double, freshman outfielder Brian Clifford (Buffalo/Bishop Timon) knocked a single down the rightfield line to bring home the first of the five runs in the inning. Hits by Greg Lehman (Croghan, N.Y./Beaver River), Vince Ircandia (Calgary, Alb./Central), Tim Fitzgerald (Orchard Park, N.Y./Canisius) and Reed Eastley (Brandon, Man./Neelin) followed, as the Purple Eagles built a 7-6 lead after the fourth inning.

In the following inning, Lehman, Ircandia and Fitzgerald drove-in three more runs for Niagara, led-off by Lehman’s double to center field. In the game, the senior third baseman led the Purple Eagles, going 5-of-5 from the plate and driving-in three runs, while scoring three.

Sophomore pitcher James Avery (Moose Jaw, Sask./Central), after giving up two runs in the first inning, regrouped to pick up his second win of the season, allowing eight hits and seven runs, while striking out five in eight innings.

Despite scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, and taking a 7-6 lead into the final inning, Niagara allowed the Broncs to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh, losing, 10-9 in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader.

Sophomore Paul Solini (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) hit a triple to center in the first inning, allowing Ircandia and Eastley to score and helping the Purple Eagles build an early lead. MacNevin would also hit a single to center field in the top of the first, to score Mike Alati (Vaughn, N.Y./St. Michael’s), giving the Purple Eagles a 4-1 lead after one.

A Fitzgerald single and Eastley double -- scoring two runs -- in the top of the seventh would give Niagara 9-6 lead heading into the bottom half of the final inning.

After consecutive hits by Jordan McCreedy and Bryan Wagner to lead off the bottom of the seventh for the Broncs, a Scott Rich home run, hit off freshman pitcher Kyle Nicoletta (Oakville, Ont./St. Thomas Acquinas), tied the game at 9-9.

With two outs, Jonathan Rehm singled for Rider, putting the winning run on base. After Rehm advanced to third on two-straight wild pitches by Nicoletta, Sean Whalen singled down the first-base line, allowing Rehm to score the game-winning run.

Mike Dyszel, who pitched two innings for Rider, picked up the win, allowing three hits and two runs.

Notable in the doubleheader was the play of Ircandia. The junior leadoff hitter went 7-for-10 from the plate, driving in five runs and scoring seven, while stealing three bases.