LEXINGTON, V.A. - The baseball team (1-3) dropped the middle game of a three-game series to VMI (5-2), 8-4, at Grey-Minor Stadium, Saturday.

The Keydets came out with a bang, scoring four runs in the first inning. Junior Harrison Harber (Kanata, Ont.) got the Purple Eagle offense going with a fifth-inning home run to put the Purple Eagles on the scoreboard. Harber connected on a two-run triple in the seventh, as he knocked in three of the four runs.

"Our pitching staff put itself in some tough situations today with base on balls," Niagara head coach Chris Chernisky said. "However, we’re looking forward to tomorrow’s rubber match with VMI to bring the series home."

The Purple Eagles hit well in the seventh, scoring three runs, but it was not enough to catch up to the Keydets. Both junior Frank Kurnik (Reno. Nev.) and sophmore Bobby Lenhard (Rochester, N.Y.) added three hits in the loss.

Junior Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) extended his hitting streak to 27 games, with a pair of singles.

The Purple Eagles continue their three-game series with the Keydets, Sunday at 1 p.m.