NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles collected seven home runs on 19 hits, including a 5-for-5 performance from Joel Klock, on their way to a 17-8 victory over the Iona Gaels on Sunday afternoon.
 
With Niagara (13-18, 5-6 MAAC) facing a 6-4 deficit, Ryan McCauley hit a solo home run for his 11^th of the season.  After Wynton Bernard got on base with a walk, Jon Wilson put Niagara in the lead 7-6 with his second home run of the game.  Bernard extended the lead to two runs with a solo-shot to left-center.
 
Iona (13-22, 5-7 MAAC) tied the game in the sixth with an RBI single then a two-out ground out to first.  The Gaels were kept off the board for the rest of the game and the Purple Eagles pulled away in the seventh.  Thomas Rodrigues collected an two-RBI triple and was brought home by a Joel Klock single up the middle.
 
With an 11-8 lead, Niagara scored another run in the eighth before a big ninth inning.  Both Rodrigues and Eric Hink hit two-run blasts and McCauley wrapped up the scoring with his second round-tripper to give the Purple Eagles the nine-run lead.
 
Geoff Soja allowed a single hit in the bottom of the ninth to earn the win and give Niagara the 17-8 victory.
 
Klock’s five hits led the team while Wilson and Rodrigues both had four RBIs. 
 
The Purple Eagles are back on the field on Tuesday when they head to Amherst, N.Y. for a doubleheader against the Buffalo Bulls beginning at 3 p.m.