BUFFALO, N.Y. – The baseball team (11-13) turned to freshman starter Marcus Spaulding (Copenhagen, N.Y.) to bounce back from a weekend loss, as the right-hander improved to 2-0 in a 6-5 win over Buffalo (3-23), Tuesday, at Audubon Field. Spaulding went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out five.

"Marcus did an outstanding job for us (Tuesday)," Niagara head coach Chris Chernisky said. "We couldn’t have had a more timely, quality start after our weekend series."

The rookie ran into a little trouble in the third inning, giving up a two-run double before settling down to allow just one hit over the final 13 batters.

The Purple Eagles took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning and held on for the 6-5 victory. Four of Niagara’s six runs were unearned, as the Bulls committed four errors in the loss.

Junior Steve Baldinelli (Niagara Falls, Ont.) had two hits and scored twice, including the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. The designated hitter slapped a two-out triple to right field and scored on an error by the third baseman.

Freshman Jason Cramer (Jackson, N.J.) and junior Frank Kurnik (Reno, Nev.) each collected two hits, scored a run and knocked in another in the victory.

Freshman Geoff Strong (Welland, Ont.) pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save. After putting the tying-run aboard with a leadoff single, the right-hander got the top three batters in Buffalo’s order to fly out to the outfield.

The Purple Eagles host Cleveland State at Sal Maglie Stadium, April 11, at 3 p.m.