Junior Vince Ircandia had three of Niagara's 13 hits Friday afternoon.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The second-seeded Niagara University baseball team (27-26) advanced to the semifinal game of the 2004 Anaconda Sports/Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Friday with a 7-3 victory over fourth seeded Marist (25-30) at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y.

The victory for the Purple Eagles was their first in six games in the tournament and gave the 2004 team the most wins in a single season since joining the MAAC in 1990.

Niagara reversed its fortunes from Thursday’s late-inning loss to Manhattan by scoring a total of five runs on six hits in the seventh and eighth innings.

The Purple Eagles took a 5-3 lead in the seventh when junior Vince Ircandia (Calgary, Alb.) got on with a single to center field, was sacrificed to second by senior Tim Fitzgerald (Orchard Park, N.Y./Canisius) and then scored on a double to left field by sophomore Paul Solini (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool). Classmate Mike Alati (Woodbridge, Ont.) then blasted a triple off the center field wall to score Solini.

Niagara built a four-run lead in the eighth when Ircandia and Fitzgerald each scored. Ircandia walked and then scored on Fitzgerald’s second double of the game. Junior Reed Eastley (Brandon, Man.) then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Fitzgerald.

Niagara struck first in the game when sophomore Andrew MacNevin (St. Catherines, P.E.I.) scored on a hit-and-run play in the second inning. Senior Greg Lehman (Croghan, N.Y.) hit a pop up just beyond first base to score MacNevin and move freshman Brian Clifford (Cheektowaga, N.Y./Bishop Timon) to third after he singled to left field. Ircandia singled in Clifford and gave the Purple Eagles a 2-0 lead.

Marist took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when it tallied three runs on three hits. Kevin Buck scored Andy Kirakides and Jimmy Board singled between first and second. Tyler Brock rang up the third when Travis Musolf registered a fielder’s choice.

Freshman Josh Sawatzky (Altona, Man.) picked up his sixth win of the season on the mound, giving up six hits and striking out six in seven innings of work. Sophomore Kyle Nicoletta (Oakville, Ont.) pitched the final two innings and gave up one hit and struck out one.

Ircandia was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a run batted in. Fitzgerald was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and extended his hitting streak to 18 games. Solini 2 for 5 with two RBI, Cliford 2 for 4 and Lehman was 2 for 5. Alati also enters the semifinal game with an 11-game hitting streak after his triple in the seventh.

Niagara will play the loser of the Le Moyne-Manhattan game approximately 55 minutes after the completion of that contest, which was scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m.