Senior Lauren Dombrowski

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University softball team (9-17) dropped to 1-3 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Sunday when Marist College (14-16, 4-2) swept a doubleheader, 10-1 and 14-5.

The Purple Eagles return to action Tuesday when they travel to Canisius for a 3 p.m. conference doubleheader at the Demske Sports Complex.

Game 1 - Marist 10, Niagara 1

Marist got on the scoreboard first in the first inning when Chrystine McHugh doubled down the left-field line. Christine Jakobsen then sacrificed her to third and McHugh scored on the next play.

Niagara tied the score when senior Lauren Dombrowski (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) singled up the middle and scored when sophomore Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.) doubled to right center.

The Red Foxes broke the 1-1 tie in the fifth inning when Laurissa Riley walked, went to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a Niagara error.

Marist took a 10-1 lead in the top of the sixth when it collected eight runs on six hits and an error.

Dombrowski had two of Niagara’s three hits. Freshman Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) took the loss, going 5.1 innings and allowing five hits and five runs.

Game 2 - Marist 14, Niagara 5

Marist tallied three runs in the first inning when McHugh singled, was sacrificed to second, went to third on an out and scored on a single up the middle by Bridget Hurlman. Jasmery Polanco homered to bring in Hurlman.

The Red Foxes took a 4-0 lead when Lyndsay Ward homered. In the third, a single, double and then a triple by the first three batters helped score two more runs.

Niagara rallied in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 6-5 when senior Linzi Scarfone (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) singled, went to second on the next play and then scored on a double to right center by Sum. Freshman Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) singled and then senior Jamie Horn (Youngstown, N.Y./Lewiston-Porter) doubled in both Sum and Healy. Junior Shannon Mongalise (Bethel Park, Pa.) traded places with Horn when the designated player hit her fourth double of the season.

Marist made it a two-run game in the fourth when McHugh walked, was sacrificed to second and then scored on a sacrifice fly. The Red Foxes added another run in the fifth when Pamela de la Llave walked and scored on a double by Ward.

The Red Foxes broke the game open in the sixth and seventh inning, scoring five runs on six hits.

Horn was 2 for 3 and freshman Brooke Viola (Los Alamitos, Calif.) took the loss on the mound, giving up seven hits and six runs in two innings.