NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - The Niagara baseball team fell to 8-6 in conference play after dropping both games of a MAAC doubleheader to Fairfield (6-5) at Sal Maglie Stadium on Saturday. The Purple Eagles had the tying run at the plate late in both contests, but lost game one 4-3 before falling 14-10 in game two.

Fairfield 4, Niagara 3
The Purple Eagles were fighting from behind all day, but mad eevery minute interesting. Niagara tied the score at 2-2 in the third and 3-3 in the sixth, but Fairfield was able to scratch the game-winning run across in the top of the ninth.

Senior Daniel Morari went the distance and pitched better than the outcome. He held the Stags to six hits in nine innings, while striking out a season-best eight batters. His counterpart, Rob Gariano, also struck out eight batters but he scattered 11 hits, limiting NU to three runs, one earned.

Niagara had its chances, particularly in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The Purple Eagles left 10 men on base in the loss, including the bases loaded in the seventh while also squandering a ninth-inning leadoff double by Matt Wietlispach.

In the ninth inning, Fairfield mounted a two-out rally with back-to-back singles. The game-winning hit went to right field and Jason Rago, who reached base with a one-out walk, came around to score on the play after the throw fro the outfield hit the first-base umpire in the back.

Wietlispach finished the game with three hits, and Trevor Rutkowski, Jason Cramer and Brian Deering each added two.

Fairfield 14, Niagara 10
After falling behind 9-2, the Purple Eagles rallied and tied the score at 9-9, but Fairfield scored five of the final six runs in a slug-fest for the win.

Sophomore Adam Wagner slammed his first career home run to right field to move NU closer 9-6 in the third. The following inning, Rutkowski matched his teammates two-run blast with one of his own, a towering shot to left center making the score 9-8. Deering tied the score with a sacrifice fly, scoring Ryan McCauley, who doubled the center after Rutkowski's homer.

Deering then moved from short to the mound and posted back-to-back zeroes on the score board, but the Stags got to him with three runs in the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, Deering came up with the bases loaded as the tying run, trailing 14-10, but grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.

The two teams battle in the third game of the series at Sal Maglie Stadium on Sunday at noon.