Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Niagara baseball team dropped the first game of its three game series against Eastern Michigan Eagles,19-10, at Oestrike Stadium on Friday afternoon.
 
After taking the initial lead, Niagara (7-8) came back twice from two-run deficits.  The Purple Eagles took an early lead in the first when Wynton Bernard got an RBI single to score Kevin Paulsen and give the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead. 
 
Eastern Michigan (4-12) answered back in its half of the first when the Eagles took a 3-1 lead on two hits and a pair of walks. 
 
The Purple Eagles made their first rally in the top of the third Jon Wilson collected one of his two hits with a two-RBI double before a groundout scored Bernard to give Niagara the 4-3 lead. 
 
The second rally came in the fifth after Eastern Michigan took a 6-4 lead with a sac fly in the fourth.  Bernard led the inning off with a double and was brought around to score on a throwing error.  Niagara tied the game when Wilson brought around his team-high third RBI of the game with a double down the left field line.  The Purple Eagles took their final lead, 7-6, with a Thomas Rodrigues scored Wilson with a single.
 
Niagara challenged one last time in the top of the seventh.  Trailing 11-7, it scored three runs on singles by Paulsen and Evan Wexler and a throwing error to come within a run, 11-10, but that was as close as it would get as Eastern Michigan added eight more runs on its way to a 19-10 victory.
 
Bernard had a team-high three hits while adding an RBI and two runs scored.  Wilson had a team-high three RBIs and went 2-for-3 at the plate.
 
Drew Fittry started the game, pitching four innings and Tyler Spear received the loss after pitching two thirds of an inning out of the bullpen.
 
The Purple Eagles are back on the field tomorrow when they play the second game of the three-game series against the EMU Eagles.