JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The baseball team (0-1) had the tying run in scoring position, but lost its season opener at East Tennessee State (2-2), 4-3, at Cardinal Park in Johnson City, Tenn., Friday. The Purple Eagles battled back after giving up four early runs, but dropped the first game of the year to the Buccaneers for the second time in three seasons.

Junior Mark Wilson (Peterbourogh, Ont.) pitched 7.2 innings for Niagara and settled down to regain his command after a tough start to the contest. Wilson gave up four runs in the first three innings, but allowed just one hit after the third inning.

"Wilson did a stellar job on the mound for us," head coach Chris Chernisky said. "He was able to bounce back after a rough start. He had solid command of the zone and minimized the damage which allowed us to climb back into the game."

Trailing 3-0 in the top of the third, sophomore Bobby Lenhard (Rochester, N.Y.) got the offense started for the Purple Eagles. The left fielder smacked a double to right field and stole third during the next at bat. He scored on a ground out from junior Frank Kurnik (Reno, Nev.), but Niagara wasn’t finished.

Junior Andrew Macdonald (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball. In his second Niagara at bat, junior Harrison Harber (Kanata, Ont.) picked up his first RBI of the season, singling to right field, making the score 3-2.

The Buccaneers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third, and were held to a fifth-inning infield single the rest of the way.

Niagara started its ninth-inning rally with back-to-back one-out singles by senior Brian Clifford (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon) and junior Chris Leendertse (Ancaster, Ont.). Lenhard picked up the RBI with a fielder’s choice before Kurnik grounded out to end the threat.

Leendertse was the only Purple Eagle to record a multiple-hit game with his two singles, while Lenhard and junior Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) each hit a double. Albert’s two-bagger extended his hitting streak to 23 games, dating back to last season.

The Purple Eagles are back in action, looking for their first win of the season, Saturday and Sunday, at 1 p.m. at East Tennessee State.