Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles held on to win the second game of their doubleheader against the Iona Gaels to earn the split after dropping the first game on Saturday afternoon at Salesian Field. 
 
Game One
Niagara (12-18, 4-6 MAAC) was the first team to get on the board in the series opener.  Joel Klock sent a double to left field to open the game and was brought around by a Ryan McCauley double to put his team up 1-0.
 
The Purple Eagles took the lead again in the top of the fourth when, after Iona (13-21, 5-6 MAAC) tied the game in its half of the first, when Wynton Bernard hit his second home run of the season with a solo-shot to left center giving NU the 2-1 lead.
 
After the Gaels scored eight runs on seven hits in the bottom of the fourth, the Purple Eagles cut the deficit to five runs with McCauley and Eric Hink each adding a RBI in the fifth to make the score 9-4. 
 
Iona put nine more runs on the board and held on for an 18-5 victory in game one.
 
Jim Fort (2-2) started the game and received the loss after 3.1 innings of work.  McCauley was the offensive leader after going 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs.
 
Game Two
Niagara got the drop on Iona again in game two, putting up three runs over the first two innings.  Hink had an RBI double and scored on an error in the first and Klock singled up the middle for a RBI in the second to give the Purple Eagles the 3-0 lead.
 
Drew Fittry (4-1) got the better of his counterpart in the pitcher’s duel through the middle innings, surrendering five hits through his six innings on the mound.
 
The bats heated up again in the seventh and final inning.  Thomas Rodrigues singled up the middle and NU scored its fourth, and final, run as Jeff Calhoon was able to score on a throwing error.  The Gaels rallied in the bottom of the inning, hitting a RBI triple, double, and single to bring the game to 4-3, but Jordan Schwartz didn’t allow another run and earned his fourth save of the year.
 
Hink and Klock both went 4-2 at the plate with an RBI each in the second game, with Hink also adding a run. 
 
Niagara is back on the field tomorrow at noon for the rubber match of the series  against Iona.