BALTIMORE – The baseball team (6-7) finished its spring break road trip on a high note with a doubleheader sweep of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) (5-8).

The Purple Eagles won game one, 5-2, behind the pitching of junior Mark Wilson (Peterborough, Ont.) and took the second game, 5-4, as senior Matt Ircandia (Calgary, Alb.) picked up his second win of the season. "Louisville Slugger’s" Player of the Week Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) extended his hitting streak to 35 games with five hits in the pair of victories.

"I am very pleased with how we competed on our spring break trip," Niagara head coach Chris Chernisky said. "Our guys showed a lot of perseverance this week with all the weather problems. After sitting in a hotel for a few days, waiting on the weather, to come out with two victories (Monday) is tremendous."

Junior Chris Leendertse (Ancaster, Ont.) doubled in the winning run in the top of the sixth inning and the Purple Eagles added two more insurance runs for the 5-2 win.

Wilson (3-2) went 6.2 innings while striking out six in the seven-inning contest. With runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh, senior Ryan Virtue (Stittsville, Ont.) was called upon to get the final out of the game. Virtue got right fielder Scott Peddicord to ground out to end the threat and pick up his first save of the season.

Niagara opened the contest with three-straight singles as junior Frank Kurnik (Reno, Nev.) scored on a base hit by second baseman Harrison Harber (Kanata, Ont.). The Purple Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on an unearned run scored by Leendertse.

Retriever shortstop Steve Bowen tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, setting up the Niagara sixth-inning heroics.

The Purple Eagles entered the bottom of the seventh with a five-run lead and held on for the 5-4 win. Freshman right-hander Geoff Strong (Welland, Ont.) struck out the only batter he faced with the winning-run aboard to pick up the first save of his career.

Alberts went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of runs scored while junior Steve Baldinelli (Niagara Falls, Ont.) went 3-for-4 with three singles and three RBI. Alberts knocked in shortstop Andrew Macdonald (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) for the game’s first run, and Baldinelli followed two batters later with a pair of RBI for a 3-0 lead after three innings.

Alberts doubled with two outs in the top of the seventh inning and scored on Baldinelli’s single. Senior James Nikolaides (Dedham, Mass.) knocked in Leendertse in the next at-bat for the 5-0 lead.

Ircandia (2-2) went 4.2 innings without allowing a run on two hits and four walks. With the bases loaded in the seventh, Virtue gave up a base-clearing double to Steve Gale, who scored on a throwing error to make the score 5-4. Strong came in and struck out Rick Phillips, looking at a 3-2 pitch.

The Purple Eagles return to action March 24-25 to open Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at Fairfield.