KENT, Ohio - The Niagara baseball team (13-30, 9-9 MAAC) dropped a non-conference contest at Kent State (28-19, 12-6 MAC) on Tuesday, 17-11. A seven-run first inning put NU behind early, but after a furious comeback, a four-run final inning put the game out of reach.

After Kent State sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring seven runs, Niagara bounced right back with a five-run, five-hit second inning. Freshman catcher Evan Wexler started the scoring with a two-run double before senior Matt Wietlispach capped the frame with his team-leading eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field.

The teams traded runs for the next few innings before Niagara scored twice in the seventh and eighth innings to cut the KSU lead to 13-11. Senior Trevor Rutkowski singled home Wietlispach in the seventh and came around to score after a double off the bat of rookie Ryan McCauley. In the eighth, sophomore Adam Wagner picked up his second RBI of the game to inch closer before junior Cam Stykemain brought home Wexler on an RBI-groundout.

The Golden Flashes then scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to eliminate any last inning Purple Eagle heroics.

Wietlispach and Rutkowski both collected three hits in the loss. Wietlispach scored twice and knocked in three more, while Rutkowski scored a run and added an RBI. Wexler and Wagner, hitting in the No. 8 and 9 slots in the order, continued their recent hot streaks. Both players had two hits and two RBIs. Wagner also stole two bases.

Freshman Tyler Scott took the loss, allowing 11 runs, nine earned, and 12 hits in five innings.

The Purple Eagles travel south for a non-league matchup against crosstown-rival Canisius on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The teams will be teamming up with Yroswell to raise money for cancer awareness with the StriKe Out Cancer initiative.