NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Niagara University softball team (6-12, 2-2) earned its second series split of the weekend Sunday beating Iona College (6-11, 2-2), 5-3 in nine innings in game one and losing 10-4 in game two.

The Purple Eagles return to action April 5 with a noon doubleheader vs. Canisius College at the Demske Sports Complex.

Niagara 5, Iona 3 (9 innings)

Senior Lisa Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth to help Niagara win its second extra innings game of the season.

The Purple Eagles trailed 2-0 until the top of the fifth when sophomore Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Calif.) scored on an Iona error.

In the sixth, freshman Jenna Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) hit her first collegiate home run, scoring Lisa Baker and giving Niagara at 3-2 lead.

The Gaels tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Kaitlin Calogera doubled to right center and scored on a Purple Eagle error.

In the top of the ninth, Lohrman walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Felicia Coffey (Mesa, Ariz.). Freshman Kristin Kill (South Portland, Maine) walked, and both Kill and Lohrman advanced on senior Nicole Sum’s (Burnaby, B.C.) walk to set up Baker’s game-winning hit.

Junior Brooke Viola (Los Alamitos, Calif.) won her fourth game of the season, throwing a three-hitter through 5.1 innings and striking out four. Classmate Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) started and pitched 3.2 innings, giving up four hits and striking out three.

Iona 10, Niagara 4

Nicole Sum and Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) both hit their team-leading third home runs of the season, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Purple Eagles’ pitching performance.

Niagara scored in the first on Sum’s home run, but Iona tallied two in the bottom of the inning.

The Gaels scored five in the fifth, chasing starting pitcher sophomore Katie Gleiser (Cheektowaga, N.Y./Maryvale) from the mound and then replacement Tiffany McCrory.

The Purple Eagles cut the lead to 7-4 in the sixth when Kill hit an RBI single to left field and Healy hit a two-run home run to left center.

Iona scored three more runs in the bottom of the sixth and chased freshman Cassie Stone (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) from the mound. Gleiser finished the game and took the loss.