COLLEGE PARK, MD., – The Niagara University softball team defeated the Valparaiso Crusaders 5-3 in their first game of the 2008 Maryland Spring Break Classic behind Felicia Coffey’s (Mesa, Ariz.) three hit day. The Purple Eagles then dropped a close decision to the UMBC Retrivers 6-4. The Purple Eagles are at 5-7 after the two games.

After the Crusaders took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Purple Eagles quickly tied the game. Coffey led off the bottom of the first with a triple for the Purple Eagles as Kristin Kill (South Portland, ME) brought her in on a sacrifice fly to center field. Niagara bolted out to a quick start in the second inning when Jenna Baker (West Seneca, N.Y.) banged out her fifth home run along the right line. Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) then doubled to right field, eventually coming around on Heidi Conlon’s (Lewiston, N.Y.) sacrifice fly to left field.

The fourth inning marked the third time in the game that the Purple Eagles had runners on early, as both Healy and Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Ca.) both singled to the outfield. After a Conlon sacrifice bunt advanced both runners, Maggie McDonald (Cicero, N.Y.) singled to center, scoring Healy. Coffey was up again and singled to center field, scoring Lohrman, and giving the Purple Eagles a 5-1 lead through four innings of play.

Down 5-1 in the top half of the final frame, the Crusaders had their first two batters safely on. Katie Williams was taken care of as the out was converted at first base, leaving runners on second and third with just one out. Mallory Gill grounded out to second base, while one scored and one was left on third. Now only down 5-2, Karen Korb singled and advanced to second base on a throwing error, making the score 5-3. With the tying run at the dish, Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) forced Alicia Ashburn into ground out to end the game.

McCrory pitched the complete game, while fanning five. Coffey went three for four, falling just a home run short of the cycle. Healy went two for three with a double and a run.

Second Game: UMBC 6, Niagara 4

In the second game, Baker continued her slugging ways with her sixth home run of the season to give Niagara the 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Her sixth home run of the season rewrites her career-high for home runs in a season, as the sophomore only hit two home runs in all of last year. The Retrivers responded in the bottom half with two runs off of back to back doubles.

Down 2-1, Niagara responded the next time up. With two outs and McDonald on second, Kayla Hines (Clifton Park, N.Y.) singled and advanced to second on a wild throw, allowing Niagara to tie the game. Teresa Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) then launched on a home run over the center field wall to put the Purple Eagles up 4-2. 

The Retrivers came right back and put three runs of their own on the board to take a 5-4 lead after three. UMBC added another run in the sixth, as with a runner on second, Lauren Brummell doubled to left center, scoring a run.

The Purple Eagles were down 6-4 with their last at-bats upcoming, when Lohrman led off with a single. After Kristin Sito (Elyria, Ohio) struck out and McDonald flied out to left, the Purple Eagles sprang to life. Against the wall with one out left, Coffey reached via error and Kill singled to load the bases. With the game winning run on first base, Hines grounded into the fielder's choice force out at second to end the game.

Teresa Healy was one for three with a home run and two RBI, while Baker was one for three with a home run and an RBI. The Purple Eagles continue in the 2008 Maryland Spring Break Classic on Sunday against Lehigh at 11 a.m. and then host Maryland at 3 p.m.