BUFFALO, N.Y. - The baseball team (15-31, 3-20 MAAC) dropped a pair of games in the Battle of the Bridge series to Canisius (19-33, 12-12 MAAC) Thursday, at Demske Sports Complex. The Purple Eagles lost game one 10-7 and the second game 5-0.

The sea-saw battle in game one went to the Golden Griffins, as they rallied twice late for the victory. In game two, sophomore right-hander Alex MacKenzie tossed a two-hit gem for his second shutout of the season.

Canisius 10, Niagara 7

The Griffins won a battle of the bullpens in the opening game of the doubleheader, as the Purple Eagle 'pen allowed seven runs in two innings in the loss. Freshman Marcus Spaulding (Copenhagen, N.Y.) entered the game with the bases loaded and could not close the flood gates as fielding miscues cost Niagara. The loss was the first of the right-hander's young career.

Senior Brian Clifford (Buffalo, N.Y.), junior Frank Kurnik (Reno, Nev.) and freshman Jason Cramer (Jackson, N.J.) each collected three hits in the opening game, but it was junior Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) who came up with the clutch, run-producing hits.

The left fielder started the scoring for Niagara with a base-clearing double to right center in the third for a 3-0 lead. Alberts came around to score on a single by junior Harrison Harber (Kanata, Ont.) for an early 4-0 lead.

Canisius responded with three runs in the bottom of the third, and the score was deadlocked at 4-3 for the next few innings. Sophomore starter Mark Sikorski (Toronto, Ont.) battled out of numerous jams in his final start of the season, finishing with two earned runs allowed on six hits in six innings of work.

Sikorski received defensive help from right field, as Clifford made two excellent catches in the contest. Early in the game one loss, the senior made a leaping grab at the wall, falling through the make-shift fence for the out. Later in the contest, the speedy right fielder hauled in a scorching line drive down the right-field line and hurdled the fence in the corner on his next step.

The Golden Griffins took the lead in the seventh inning with four runs on just one hit to inch ahead, 7-4. The Purple Eagles responded with three runs in the eighth inning after a leadoff single by Clifford and a ground-rule double by catcher James Nikolaides (Dedham, Mass.). Both seniors scored to make the score 7-6 before Alberts singled in Cramer, tying the score at 7-7.

Canisius rallied for three more in the bottom of the eighth on three singles and got the Purple Eagles to retire in order in the ninth for the win.

Canisius 5, Niagara 0

Junior Mark Wilson (Peterborough, Ont.) had a solid outing in his final trip to the mound of the season, but the Purple Eagle hitters could only muster two hits and four total base runners in the shutout loss. It marked just the second time this season that Niagara failed to score a run.

Freshman Timothy Cozier (Ajax, Ont.) and Kurnik had the only hits for Niagara in the loss.

The Purple Eagles conclude their season when senior Ryan Virtue (Stittsville, Ont.) takes to the hill in the season finale, Friday at noon at Canisius.