ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Making late-inning comebacks in both games, the Niagara University baseball team (12-18) swept the doubleheader against St. Bonaventure University (17-17) Tuesday at McGraw-Jennings Field, in St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
With both games of the doubleheader being seven-inning contests, Niagara won Game 1 against the Bonnies, 13-5, winning the second game, 5-4.
The Purple Eagles were paced in Tuesday’s sweep by the hitting of freshman infielder Andrew MacDonald (Charlottetown, P.E.I.), who went a perfect 7-for-7 in the doubleheader with a team-leading five RBI.
Niagara, which is 4-1 in its last five non-conference games, tied a season high with 15 hits in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
Game 1 - Niagara 13, St. Bonaventure 5
Trailing the Bonnies, 5-1, entering the fifth inning, Niagara scored 12 runs over the final three innings.
In the breakout fifth inning, in which the Purple Eagles scored six runs to take a 6-5 lead on St. Bonaventure, the first four Niagara batters reached base.
After junior Dan Parsons (Liverpool, N.Y.) reached on a fielding error by Bonnies third baseman Kiernan Malone, sophomore Brian Clifford (Buffalo) hit a single to third, scoring Parsons and cutting the deficit to three runs.
Still in the fifth with the bases loaded, MacDonald hit a single to left, scoring two more runs for Niagara. Hits by junior Matt Schaefer (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and freshman Tim Alberts (Syracuse, N.Y.) accounted for the final three RBI of the fifth inning, with Alberts hitting a two-run triple to right center.
Junior catcher Mike Medici (Latham, N.Y.) hit his fourth home run of the season in the final inning, scoring two runs and helping the Purple Eagles tie their season high for runs in a game with their 13th of the contest.
Sophomore starting pitcher Ryan Virtue (Stittsville, Ont.) pitched two innings, allowing five hits and three runs. Senior Chris Cerchie (Lasalle, Ont.) was credited with the win after pitching two innings, with junior Mike Radanovic (Surrey, B.C.) pitching the final three innings of the contest, allowing a hit and no runs with four strikeouts.
St. Bonaventure junior starting pitcher Matt Agostonelli pitched five innings, allowing 11 hits and seven runs in the loss.
Game 2 - Niagara 5, St. Bonaventure 4
Continuing the late-inning heroics in Game 2, Parsons hit a game-winning single to center field in the top of the seventh and final inning, scoring Schaefer and giving Niagara a 5-4 lead heading into the final half inning.
In bottom half of the seventh, sophomore Dan Griffin (Schenectady, N.Y.) struck out three St. Bonaventure batters, allowing a hit, to earn his first save of the season.
The Purple Eagles took a 2-0 lead following the first two innings of the game, with junior Andrew MacNevin (St. Catharines, P.E.I.) and MacDonald tallying RBIs.
Ahead 2-1 in the fourth, Schaefer hit a two-run double, scoring junior Mike Alati (Woodbridge, Ont.) and MacDonald to give Niagara a three-run lead.
St. Bonaventure would tie the score in the bottom of the sixth after an RBI-double by senior Craig King and an RBI-single by senior Damian Blakeley, scoring two runs and tying the game entering the final inning, which led to Parson’s game-winning hit.
Sophomore Josh Sawatzky (Altona, Man.) earned his third win of the season, pitching the sixth inning, allowing two hits and striking out two. Niagara freshman pitcher Mark Wilson (Peterborough, Ont.), who started the game, allowed a hit and a run in 2 2-3 innings of work.
Freshman Cody Vincent pitched all seven innings in the loss for St. Bonaventure, allowing nine hits and striking out five.
Along with MacDonald, Schaefer and Alberts had highlight performances at the plate for Niagara in the sweep. Schaefer finished the day going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Alberts had three hits and three RBI in the two games.
The Purple Eagles travel to Fairfield University this weekend for a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series Saturday and Sunday.
