CINCINNATI - The Niagara baseball team settled for a series split with Big East's Cincinnati on Sunday after dropping the final game of a four-game set 4-3. The Purple eagles took a 3-0 lead into the final inning, but allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth in the loss.

Sophomore pitcher Marcus Spaulding (Copenhagen, N.Y.) pitched eight innings of two-hit baseball, but the Bearcat offense took advantage of the Purple Eagle bullpen in the win. UC collected six hits and scored four runs in the final inning of play.

Senior Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a runs scored in the loss. The left fielder had a sacrifice fly in the first, scored Niagara's second run on a ground out in the  fourth, and had an RBI double in the seventh.

The Purple Eagles return to action on Tuesday at Bucknell. First pitch is scheduled at 3:30 p.m.