Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara softball teamed combined for 16 hits in a Sunday afternoon split against the Marist Red Foxes. Niagara was edged out in the first game 7-5 before winning the second, 3-2.

Marist 7, Niagara 5

Senior Alexis Wayne hit 2-for-4 with three RBIs, but a five-run third inning would give the Marist Red Foxes (15-17, 4-2) the victory over the Niagara Purple Eagles (4-21, 1-3 MAAC), 7-5

Three Purple Eagles would record multiple hits in game one, including Wayne, senior Becky Zill  and junior Brittany Richberg  The two hits give Richberg her ninth multi-hit game of the season, the most of any Purple Eagle in 2013.

The Red Foxes used a three RBI homer and two RBI double to take a 6-0 lead after the top of the third inning, but Niagara would answer with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded, Zill got Niagara on the board after advancing all of the runners and bringing home sophomore Ambur Farmer. One batter later, Wayne singled to center field to drive in two more runs, cutting the deficit, 6-3.

After giving up a run in the fifth, the Purple Eagles would threaten the lead off a Zill triple and Wayne single, both scoring one run each. But with the tying runs on base and two outs, Marist relief pitcher Janine Lalli retired the final batter for Niagara, securing the victory for the Red Foxes.

Junior Kim Bryson struck out five batters and allowed six hits in 4.2 innings in the circle.

Niagara 3, Marist 2

Junior Jennifer Sansano tossed a season-high 11 strikeouts and allowed just four hits in seven innings en route to a 3-2 win over Marist.

A two-run homer over the left-field wall in the second inning would give Marist an early 2-0 lead.

Following the second stanza, Sansano allowed just one more run through the final five innings of the game. One of Sansano’s best innings came in the top of the fifth, when she struck out the first two batters before making a crucial play on the ball to toss out the third batter and retire the side.

Niagara scored three runs in the final two innings to take the lead. In the fifth, after taking a pitch off her left leg, then advancing to second, senior Gabrielle Lustrinelli crossed home plate courtesy of a double to left field by Farmer.

After reaching base off a single up the middle of the field, junior Aileen Hinton would lay down a nearly-perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Zill into scoring position. While on third base, Zill would score on a wild pitch to tie the game for the Purple Eagles. Zill extended her current hitting streak to five games, and has now recorded a hit in eight out of her last nine games.

Sansano would strike out all three Marist batters in the sixth inning to keep the game tied, one of five clean innings for the junior.

Following her first hit of the game, a single to right center, Lustrinelli would round the three remaining bags and score from the go-ahead RBI from sophomore Desarae Maldonado to give Niagara the lead.

Marist would get a single hit to lead off the seventh, but were held scoreless to leave Niagara with the win.

The Purple Eagles return to action tomorrow afternoon, April 15, to host Siena at 12 p.m. Niagara gets right back at it the following day when they play host to the Akron Zips on Wednesday, April 16, also at 12 p.m.