LAWRENCE, KS – The Purple Eagles opened their set against the Kansas Jayhawks with a 7-0 loss at Hoglund Ballpark on Thursday evening.
 
After the leadoff hitter in the Kansas (7-5) half of the first reached with a single, Drew Fittry (0-3) retired the next three batters in order to keep the Jayhawks off of the board.  Fittry would throw four innings for Niagara (3-10) giving up only two runs, both in the second, on five hits and leave the game with NU trailing 2-0. 
 
“We played better today,” head coach Rob McCoy said.  “I see flashes of really good things.  It’s a matter of consistently improving every day.”
 
The Purple Eagles threatened in the top of the fourth when Ryan McCauley reached first and was advanced to second then third by singles form Christian Vangeison and Thomas Rodrigues, respectively.  He was caught trying to score on the Rodrigues single to end the inning.
 
Trailing 5-0 heading into the seventh, NU would threatened again as Vangeison collected his second hit of the night with a double down the rightfield line.  Jeff Calhoon and Logan Linder each drew a two-out walks to load the bases but the inning would end with a strikeout after a KU pitching change.  The Jayhawks added runs in the seventh and eighth innings and came away with the 7-0 win. 
 
Vangeison tied the game-high with two hits, with a 2-for-4 outing.  Fittry took the loss for NU. 
 
These two teams face each other again tomorrow at 4 p.m.