OLEAN, N.Y. – The baseball team (10-12) scored five unanswered runs in a game one victory of a doubleheader split with St. Bonaventure (8-14), Tuesday at Handler Park. Sophomore Chris Coleman (Pittsford, N.Y.) pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn his first career victory.

"Chris was big in relief for us in game one," Niagara head coach Chris Chernisky said. "We came up with timely hits to overcome an early deficit."

Freshman Marcus Spaulding (Copenhagen, N.Y.) allowed four runs, two earned, in the first two innings before settling down in the game one victory. The right-hander combined with two Purple Eagle relievers to hold the Bonnies to two hits over the final five innings, as Coleman picked up the victory and freshman Geoff Strong (Welland, Ont.) earned his fourth save of the season.

With the score tied at 4-4 in the top of the seventh, Niagara scored two unearned runs on one hit for the win. Junior catcher Clint Elkins (Kansas City, Mo.) reached on a fielding error by the Bonnies’ second baseman and classmate Steve Baldinelli (Niagara Falls, Ont.) followed with an infield single. The pair advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt by freshman Jason Cramer (Jackson, N.J.).

Pinch-hitter Chris Leendertse (Ancaster, Ont.) was intentionally walked to load the bases to set up an inning-ending double play, but St. Bonaventure’s second error of the inning on a sharp ground ball to shortstop allowed Elkins to score the winning run. Baldinelli scored an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by center fielder Frank Kurnik (Reno, Nev.).

Kurnik walked and stole second and third before scoring in the top of the first on a ground out by left fielder Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.). St. Bonaventure took a 4-1 lead after two innings, before a two-run home run by junior second baseman Harrison Harber (Kanata, Ont.) inched the Purple Eagles closer at 4-3. Cramer tripled in the fourth and scored on a ground out by senior Brian Clifford (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon) to tie the score at 4-4 and set up the final inning.

Sophomore Dennis Chachko (Oceanport, N.J.) couldn’t get out of the second inning, allowing six runs after facing nine batters. The 6-foot-6 left-hander (0-4) pitched one inning allowing three hits while walking three.

Clifford hit his second home run of the season to leadoff the third, and Alberts picked up his second RBI of the day. Harber scored on Alberts’ single after a leadoff double in the fourth inning.

The Purple Eagles return to Sal Maglie Stadium for a three-game series against conference foe Siena, April 6-7 at noon.