Senior Lisa Hess

Senior Colleen Larsen

Senior Amy Dulski

Senior Bradi Cochrane

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – It’s win or go home for the Niagara University softball team (19-25, 7-7) as it hosts cross-town rival Canisius College (18-26, 8-6) Saturday in a noon doubleheader at Niagara Field.

The Purple Eagles need to sweep the Golden Griffins to earn a bid to the 2004 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament in Poughkeepsie May 14-15. Niagara is currently in fifth place behind first place Fairfield (10-4), Manhattan (8-4), Rider (7-5) and Canisius.

Playing their last home game for Niagara will be nine seniors — Andrea Crapo (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport), Ashleigh Barber (Kelowna, B.C.), Tegan Bennett (Stouffville, Ont.), Cheryl Julicher (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville North), Angie Clarke (Grafton, Ont.), Colleen Larsen (Beiseker, Alb.), Lisa Hess (Youngstown, N.Y./Lewiston-Porter), Amy Dulski (Springville, N.Y./Springville Griffith Inst.) and Bradi Cochrane (Harriston, Ont.).

Julicher, a MAAC Player of the Year candidate, is Niagara’s top offensive threat. She is leading the team in hitting (.364), runs (31), doubles (8), triples (4), home runs (6), slugging percentage (.673), runs batted in (33), walks (19) and on-base percentage (.458). The senior broke Niagara’s single-season RBI record and tied the mark for home runs. She is also second in runs, five shy of the top spot.

Freshman Lisa Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca) tops the team in hits (45), at bats (144) and doubles (10), and is second in runs (26). The shortstop is also hitting .313, and she is first in at bats and tied for second in hits on the Niagara single-season lists.

Classmate catcher Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.) is second on the team in hitting (.341), hits (44) and doubles (8). Her hit total is currently third on the single-season list. She needs 11 to break the record set by Kelly Cruttenden in 1998.

On the mound for the Purple Eagles, Bennett has a team low 2.75 earned-run average. She leads the pitching corp. in appearances (26), starts (18), complete games (11), innings pitched (122.1) and strikeouts (62). Bennett is tied for third in single-season starts and second in appearances in the Niagara record book.

Classmate Crapo has a 6-7 record with a 4.44 ERA. She has made 23 appearances with 12 starts, two complete games, a team-leading two saves and 24 strikeouts. She ranks second in single-season saves and fifth in appearances.

Canisius enters the doubleheader winning three of its last four games. The Golden Griffins split with St. Bonaventure on Tuesday.

Freshman Caitlin Lever is hitting a team-best .306 for Canisius. She is has a team-leading 38 hits, and is second in runs (16) and doubles (6). Junior Beth Enk is hitting .272 with 34 hits and a team-best eight doubles and 20 RBI.

On the mound, junior Andrea Bunten is 11-6 on the season and has started 19 of 25 games. The right-hander has a 1.89 ERA and nine complete games. Opponents are hitting .170 vs. Bunten and she has struck out 177 and walked 63.

Freshman Lindsay Garbacz is 5-14 on the season with a 3.73 ERA. The right-hander has started 17 of 26 games.