NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Senior shortstop Jason Cramer's five-RBI performance capped his best career weekend and gave the Niagara baseball team a series sweep of Iona on Sunday, 12-9. The Purple Eagles scored four runs in the ninth inning, including two on a two-out double by Cramer to improve to 7-2 in MAAC play.

Niagara fell behind 7-4 after the first six innings, but the offense pieced together a 3-run seventh and a run in the eighth before the rallying ninth. Every Purple Eagle starter scratched out a hit, as the team totaled 19 in the win. Overall on the weekend, Niagara collected 57 hits in the sweep.

"We didn't pitch as well as we have been, but the other parts of out game stepped up this weekend," Niagara head coach Rob McCoy said. "This was a great weekend for our team, and we will continue to prepare for our upcoming challenges."

Niagara's 7-2 record in conference play puts the squad in a second-place  tie with next weekend's opponent Marist.

Cramer went 4-for-5 on the afternoon, with a two-run home run in the second, a single in the third, an RBI single in the eighth and a two-run double in the ninth. Overall for the series, the senior shortstop batted .615 (8-for-13), scored seven runs, knocked in seven more and reached base 14 times in 19 plate appearances (.737).

Senior Dennis Chachko earned his second win of the series, pitching the final two frames. He improved to 3-1 in MAAC play out of the bullpen.

With the score tied at 8-8 in the ninth, sophomore Stephen Smith lined a two-run double to left-center. After a Trevor Rutkowski single, Cramer followed Smith's lead and doubled to left-center to put NU up 12-9. Chachko allowed a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the frame, but got a groundout to short to end the game.

Rookies Wes Walker and Ryan McCauley each had three hits in the win. Walker slapped three-straight singles to start the contest, and finished the weekend with six hits in nine at bats (.667), three runs and six RBIs. McCauley went 3-for-5 on Sunday with two runs and two RBIs.

The Purple Eagles return to Sal Maglie Stadium for their home opener on Tuesday against Youngstown State at 3 p.m.