BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Niagara baseball team (16-29) fell in the consolation game of the Big 4 Classic to St. Bonaventure (21-17) on Wednesday, 4-2, at the Demske Sports Complex.

Senior Chris Coleman (Pittsford, N.Y.) earned the loss, allowing four runs in 4.1 innings of work. He held the Bonnies to just five hits but got in trouble issuing six walks in the outing. The NU bullpen, junior Matt Jordan (Orangeburg, N.Y.) and sophomore Brian Deering (Springfield, Va.), held St. Bonaventure scoreless over 3.2 innings to keep the Purple Eagles in the contest.

Trailing 4-1 in the top of the ninth, Niagara staged a rally, and brought the go-ahead run to the plate twice, but the Bonnies thwarted the comeback effort. Shortstop Jason Cramer (Jackson, N.J.) knocked in Wynton Bernard (Poway, Calif.) to inch closer at 4-2, but the Bonnies Cody Sudbrook retired the final two batters for his first save of the year. SBU's Nick Sherba struck out 10 batters in 8.1 innings of work for the win.

The Purple Eagle defense rebounded, committing no erros and throwing out a pair of runners at the plate. Bernard and rookie Keith Picconi (Merrick, N.Y.) each connected with senior backstop Matt Lucchesi (San Francisco, Calif.) to end two innings with assists at the plate. Lucchesi plated a run in the second inning with a single to left-center.

The second-place Purple Eagles return to the diamond for a three-game set with first-place Manhattan on Saturday and Sunday.