LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – A late rally in the second game and four RBIs by Ryan McCauley weren’t enough for the Purple Eagles baseball team as they dropped both games of their doubleheader with the Siena Saints.
 
Game One
Siena (15-29, 6-8 MAAC) got in front early with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first and extended the early lead to 5-0 on a pair of RBI singles in the third. 
 
Niagara (15-24, 5-11 MAAC) got on the board in the sixth.  Adam Wagner broke up Ryan Poplawski’s  no-hitter and moved Thomas Rodrigues to third.  Eric Hink scored Rodrigues and McCauley when he doubled to center field to bring home Wagner to cut the deficit to 6-2. 
 
The Saints scored one more run in their half of the sixth before Niagara got back on the board in the eighth.  Hink and McCauley collected another pair of RBIs with a single through the left side and a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as Niagara would get.
 
Hink and McCauley led the team with two RBIs each.  Drew Fittry got the start and received the loss for Niagara.
 
Game Two
Niagara struck first in the second half of the doubleheader, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Hink and McCauley each recorded their third RBIs of the afternoon.  Siena responded with a pair of runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, then took a 5-2 lead in the second.
 
The Saints extended their lead to 6-2, but the Purple Eagles would begin a rally in the fifth inning.   McCauley recorded his fourth RBI of the day on a single through the right side and Jesse Harris singled to left to cut Siena’s lead to two runs.  Adam Wagner cut the deficit to 6-5 with a run-scoring double in the sixth inning, but Siena was able to hold on to its slim lead.
 
McCauley again led the team with a pair of RBIs, while Wagner had a team-best 2-for-4 performance at the plate.  Jim Fort started for Niagara and received the loss.
 
The Purple Eagles are back on the field for the series finale against Siena tomorrow afternoon at noon.