NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - The baseball team's bats came alive, but the Purple Eagles (12-19) committed seven errors in a 8-5 loss to Canisius (11-27), Tuesday, in the opening round of the Big Four Classic at Sal Maglie Stadium.

Junior Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Three other Purple Eagles collected multiple hits, as Niagara broke out of its recent hitting slump, scoring five runs in the loss, more than it scored in its last four games combined. Senior Brian Clifford (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon), junior Chris Leendertse (Ancaster, Ont.) and freshman Jason Cramer (Jackson, N.J.) each had a pair of hits in the loss.

Senior James Boyack (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius HS) became the third-straight tough-luck loser for Niagara. The left-hander came in relief of freshman starter Marcus Spaulding (Copenhagen, N.Y.) with the team trailing 5-1 and allowed just one run over 3 1/3 innings. Unfortunately for Boyack, the run he allowed in the bottom of the sixth was the winning run.

Spaulding had his first bad start of the season, giving up five runs, four earned, on six hits in 2 1/3 innings. But the Purple Eagles bats came alive tying the score at five with a run in the fourth and fifth innings and a pair of scores in the sixth.

The Purple Eagles face the University at Buffalo Bulls in the consolation game of the Big Four Classic, Wednesday, at 3 p.m.