NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The Niagara baseball team (18-24, 6-11 MAAC) managed just seven hits in a doubleheader defeat on Saturday, falling to Iona (4-36, 4-16 MAAC) 8-2 and 4-1 in New Rochelle, N.Y. The Purple Eagles left 11 runners in scoring position on the afternoon.

"The offense is really struggling right now and we have got to figure out a way to make some things occur at the plate and on base so that we can get ourselves going again," Niagara head coach Chris Chernisky said. "Dan Morari pitched a whale of a baseball game for us in game two, and he did not deserve the outcome that he got."

Senior Andrew Macdonald (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) collected three hits on the day and reached base five out of seven times. The Purple Eagles stranded the shortstop in scoring position four times. Two of Niagara's three runs scored with Macdonald at the plate, though the senior did not pick up an RBI on either occasion.

With the doubleheader sweep, Iona doubled its season win total to four. The Gaels were 2-36 entering Saturday's action.

"Hats off to Iona for playing hard today and through the season that they have been through thus far," Chernisky added.

Iona 8, Niagara 2
Niagara went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and scratched out four hits in the game one loss. Iona scored three unearned runs with two outs in the first innings and never looked back.

Michael Kellar (Colifax, Ill.) pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six runs, three earned, on six hits while striking out three. Brad Lueck (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) pitched 3.2 innings of relief allowing two runs on two hits while striking out four.

Iona second baseman Ralph Marzella knocked in five runs with a three-run double in the first and a two-run double in the fifth. Shane Sveda went the distance for Iona scattering four hits while striking out nine Purple Eagles.

Iona 4, Niagara 1
Dan Morari (Saskatoon, Sask.) pitched five innings of scoreless baseball, but did not receive any offensive support as the junior took the loss and fell to 5-4. The left-hander struck out six prior to running into trouble in the sixth inning.

Iona first baseman Chris Griffin lined a bases-loaded double to center field in the pivotal inning, scoring two runs and chasing Morari. Dennis Chachko (Oceanport, N.J.) struck out two of three batters, but allowed a two-out, two-run single to leadoff hitter Mike Walraven.

The two teams square off at noon on Sunday at Salesian Field.