NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University baseball team (19-22, 11-7) earned a split in its doubleheader against Marist College (20-25, 13-7) Sunday at Bobo Field. Paced by a four-run seventh inning, the Purple Eagles defeated the Red Foxes, 7-6, in game two of the doubleheader, following a 17-3 loss in the first game.
Down 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh, with a man on first, sophomore Paul Solini (Liverpool, N.Y.) hit a home run to left field off of Marist pitcher George Heath, tying the game at 6-6. Later in the inning, senior third baseman Greg Lehman (Croghan, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring sophomore Daniel Parsons (Liverpool, N.Y.) and the game-winning run.
"It’s obviously nice when this was the exact turnaround of last Saturday, when we won the first game and had the second one stolen from us in the last inning," said Mike McRae, Niagara head coach.
The two teams meet again Monday at Bobo Field, with game time slated for noon.
Game 1 - Marist 17, Niagara 3
Marist would never trail in the 14-run victory, scoring three runs in the opening inning off Purple Eagle starting pitcher Ryan Virtue (Stittsville, Ont.). After the first three Red Fox hitters reached base, first baseman Jimmy Board hit a single to right field, scoring the second run of the inning and giving Marist a 2-0 lead. Catcher Bryan Towler stole home later in the inning to give the Red Foxes the three-run lead after the first inning.
With the score 4-0 heading into the sixth, Marist would add four runs, led by a Towler single to left center driving in two runs, and takeing an 8-0 lead on the Purple Eagles.
Niagara would get its first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth on a single to right by sophomore Mike Alati (Woodbridge, Ont.), scoring sophomore Matt Schaefer (Clifton Park, N.Y.).
The Red Foxes added eight runs in the final inning.
Marist junior Scott Chambers pitched eight innings, giving up six hits, while striking out seven to earn his fifth win of the season.
Game 2 - Niagara 7, Marist 6
Trailing throughout majority of the game, Niagara got two runs in the bottom of the fifth -- cutting the Marist lead to 6-3 -- after Lehman hit a two-out home run to center, scoring teammate Jeff Vincent (Baldwinsville, N.Y.).
Needing three runs to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, junior Reed Eastley’s (Brandon, Man.) sharply hit single to second base scored junior Vince Ircandia (Calgary, Alb.) and put the tying run on base with one out.
After Solini’s game-tying home run, consecutive hits by Andrew MacNevin (St. Catherines, P.E.I.) and Vincent gave Niagara runners on first and third. MacNevin was later pinched run for by Parsons. After an intentional walk of freshman Brian Clifford (Cheektowaga) by Marist pitcher Erik Supplee, Lehman hit his sacrifice fly to right, scoring Parsons.
Marist opened the game with runs in the first three innings, taking a 5-1 lead. Outfielder Keith Brachold, just the second batter of the game, hit a home run to right field to give the Red Foxes an early 2-0 lead after the first inning.
Niagara sophomore pitcher Kyle Nicoletta (Oakville, Ont.), who pitched in relief of freshman starter Josh Sawatsky (Altona, Man.), picked up his sixth win of the season, pitching two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit.
The win snapped Niagara’s eight-game losing streak to the Red Foxes, dating back to the 2001 season.
