NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – The Niagara University baseball team (23-25) defeated the University at Buffalo (15-35), 10-8, at Sal Maglie Field, in Niagara Falls, Tuesday. With the win, the Purple Eagles won the season series with the Bulls, winning three of the five games played between the two schools.

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the third inning, Niagara went on to score five runs in the third to take a 7-5 lead over Buffalo. The Purple Eagles would not relinquish the lead over the final six innings.

With the bases loaded in the third, sophomore Mike Alati’s (Woodbridge, Ont.) single to right scored junior Vince Ircandia (Calgary, Alb.) and senior Tim Fitzgerald (Orchard Park, N.Y.), cutting the deficit to just one run. The very next batter after Alati, sophomore Andrew MacNevin (St. Catherines, P.E.I.), hit a three-run home run to right, putting the Purple Eagles up for good. For MacNevin, it was his sixth home run of the season.

Sophomore first baseman Paul Solini (Liverpool, N.Y.) and junior shortstop Reed Eastley (Brandon, Man.) each hit RBI-singles in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, scoring two more runs for Niagara. A sacrifice fly to center field by senior third baseman Greg Lehman (Croghan, N.Y.), scoring freshman Brian Clifford (Cheektowaga), brought in the final run of the game for Niagara.

Buffalo took an early lead after sophomore John Boom and senior Brian Zelasko had consecutive hits in the second inning, scoring three runs for the Bulls. The Purple Eagles answered in the bottom half of the second, with hits by MacNevin and Lehman, scoring two runs.

For the game, MacNevin went 2 for 4, with four runs batted in and two runs scored. Fitzgerald, 3 for 5 in the game with three runs scored, extended his hitting streak to a team-high 13 games.

Pitching three innings in relief, junior Chris Cerchie (Lasalle, Ont.) picked up his third win of the season. Cerchie gave up one hit and a run, while striking out two for the win. Sophomore Kyle Nicoletta (Oakville, Ont.) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, earning his third save of the year.

Niagara, tied for third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings with a 13-9 conference record, plays its final series of the 2004 season when it hosts crosstown-rival Canisius (4-40, 4-20) in a three-game series at Bobo Field starting Thursday.