Freshman Jennifer Yee was 6 for 8 at the Patriot Invitational this weekend.

FAIRFAX, Va. – In its opening weekend of the 2006 season, the Niagara University softball team (2-1) finished the Patriot Invitational Sunday with a two-game split. The Purple Eagles lost to Cornell University, 9-0, and then beat Mount St. Mary’s, 5-2.

Niagara returns to action March 10 when it travels to Virginia Beach for the Mason Dixon Classic.

Cornell 9, Niagara 0

Cornell scored five runs in the fifth inning and was smart at the plate to earn a weekend split with Niagara. The Big Red collected seven hits off of Purple Eagle Brooke Viola (Los Alamitos, Calif.) and had the sophomore pitching from behind in the count the entire game. Viola walked six and struck out five.

At the plate, freshman Jennifer Yee (North Delta, B.C.) was 2 for 2 with a stolen base, while junior Ashley Bognar (Tonawanda, N.Y.) and rookie Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Calif.) were each 1 for 2.

Niagara 5, Mount St. Mary’s 2

A four-run third inning and 11 hits for the game helped to fuel Niagara’s second win of the season.

Yee went 3 for 4 with a double and a two-run home run to deep centerfield in the third. Also in the third, sophomore Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) collected a double and Lohrman a two-run single. Healy was 2 for 4 with a RBI single in the first.

Freshman Katie Gleiser (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) picked up her first collegiate win, throwing a three-hitter with five strikeouts.