NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University softball team (14-16, 8-4) hit .339 as a squad en route to a sweep of Marist College (17-24, 9-4) Saturday afternoon at Niagara Field. The Purple Eagles won game one, 9-3, and came from behind in game two, 4-2.

Junior Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) hit .571 with four hits, three runs, a home run and two RBI. Senior Lisa Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) added three hits, three runs, a double, home run and an RBI. Junior Jamie Constantz (Endicott, N.Y.) collected four RBI on the day.

They return to action Sunday when they host Siena College in a noon doubleheader.

Game 1 - Niagara 9, Marist 3

Niagara pounded out 13 hits and four extra base hits as it snapped a three-game losing streak with a win in game one.

The Purple Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when junior Melissa Markle (Orchard Park, N.Y./West Seneca West) singled to shortstop, moved to third on Constantz’s single down the right field line and then scored on sophomore Heather Lohrman’s (Newport Beach, Calif.) fielder’s choice to second.

Back-to-back home runs in the third inning by Healy and Lisa Baker put the Purple Eagles up 3-0 in the third. Markle then hit the top of the left field fence for a triple to score freshman Jenna Baker (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) for a 4-0 lead.

Marist scored its first run in the fourth when Mary Beth Pomes singled in Jessica Hulsey.

The Red Foxes cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth when Jessica Green doubled to left center to score Christine Jakobsen from second, and Annie Castellano singled Green home.

Niagara went up 8-3 in the fifth when Lisa Baker singled, moved to second on wild pitch and to third on a walk to Jenna Baker. Both Baker’s advanced to second and third on a fly out by Markle and then scored on a single up the middle by Constantz. Freshman Kristin Kill (South Portland, Maine) then hit a two-run double to right field to score Constantz and Lohrman.

The Purple Eagles’ ninth run came in the sixth when Healy scored on a put out after singling through the left side.

Junior Brooke Viola (Los Alamitos, Calif.) picked up her eighth win of the season, throwing five innings and giving up eight hits, three runs and fanning three.

Game 2 - Niagara 4, Marist 2

Trailing 2-0 in the third, Niagara used a three-run fourth inning to come from behind for the win in game two.

Marist took a 2-0 lead in the first when Giordono hit a two-run home run to right field.

Niagara took the lead in the fourth when senior Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.) hit a double to left center and then scored on an RBI single by Healy. Lisa Baker hit a double to center field to put runners on second and third, and then Marist made two errors that resulted in Healy and Baker scoring.

The Purple Eagles scored their fourth run in the sixth when Jenna Baker doubled to center field, went to third a sacrifice bunt by Markle and scored on Constantz’s sacrifice fly to left field.

Junior Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) won her sixth game of the year, giving up six hits and striking out eight.