NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University softball team (17-17) closed the home portion of its 2007 schedule with a sweep of Youngstown State (14-19) Wednesday afternoon at Niagara Field. The Purple Eagles won game one, 3-1, and came from behind in game two to win 10-9 in eight innings.

Senior Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.) was 3-for-6 with a double, home run and two RBI while sophomore Felicia Coffey (Mesa, Ariz.) was 3-for-7 with four runs, a home run and four RBI.

Niagara returns to action Saturday when it plays its final Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series at Rider University.

Game 1 - Niagara 3, Youngstown State 1

Sophomore Katie Gleiser (Cheektowaga, N.Y./Maryvale) picked up her first win of the season, giving up two hits and striking out four in five innings of work.

Youngstown State scored first when McKenzie Berda singled to center field to score Lacy Bronson from second.

Niagara tied the game when Coffey singled up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Kristin Kill (South Portland, Maine), went to third on a passed ball and scored on a fly ball by junior Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.).

The Purple Eagles took a 3-1 lead in the third when junior Melissa Markle (Orchard Park, N.Y./West Seneca West) got on with an error, moved to second on a walk to junior Jamie Constantz (Endicott, N.Y.) and then scored on a single up the middle by Coffey. A single to left field by Kill plated Constantz.

Game 2 - Niagara 10, Youngstown State 9 (8)

Felicia Coffey’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning was the difference maker as Niagara came from behind to beat Youngstown State in game two.

Trailing 9-6 in the seventh, Coffey hit her fourth home run of the season to center field to score pinch runner Laynie Stillman (Homer, N.Y.) and sophomore Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Calif.).

With Sum on second base for the international tie-breaking situation, Healy put down a sacrifice bunt to move Sum to third and she then scored the game-winning run on a throwing error by the Penguins.

Youngstown State scored first when Bedra doubled to left field and then scored on a single to center field by Autumn Grove.

Niagara made it 1-1 when Coffey walked and then scored on Sum’s team-leading 11th double of the season.

The Penguins took a 3-1 lead in the top of the second when Bethany Hafley singled to right center and scored on a single by Becky Hibner. Megan Bricker, who was hit by a pitch, also scored on the play.

The Purple Eagles made it 3-2 in the second when Lohrman walked and then scored a single to right center by Kill.

Youngstown State pushed its lead to 5-2 when Berda led off with a home run to center field and Hafley singled to short center field to score Grove.

Niagara cut the lead to 5-3 when Healy singled up the middle and scored on a single to right-center field by Constantz. The Purple Eagles then tied the game in the fourth when Kill reached first on an error, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sum and then scored on a Youngstown State error.

The Penguins took the lead in the fifth when Bricker doubled to center field to score Kristen McDonnell from second, and Kelli Sheibley singled down the right-field line to plate Bricker. They pushed their lead to 9-5 in the sixth when McDonnell singled to left field to score Bedra and Grove.

Sum hit a solo home run to left field in the sixth to cut Youngstown State’s lead to three and setup the Purple Eagles come back.

Freshman Cassie Stone (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) picked up her first collegiate win, giving up one hit and striking out three in three innings of work.