NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles dropped both games of their doubleheader with the Siena Saints Sunday afternoon at Sal Maglie Stadium. 
 
“We had a chance to make a statement,” head coach Rob McCoy said.  “We didn’t make it.  We need to improve our toughness as a team when it’s time to make a pitch or have a quality at bat in big situations.”
 
Game One
The Purple Eagles (12-26) couldn’t get their offense going and dropped a close opening game of Sunday’s doubleheader 3-1 to the Saints (15-21).
 
The first three innings went by without either team scoring a run, as Kyle Olver (3-6) didn’t give up a hit until the third.  The visitors were first on the scoreboard with a SAC-fly in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead and, after being held hitless in the fifth, added another run in the sixth to go up 2-0.
 
Niagara cut the deficit in half in its half of the sixth with a SAC-fly from Kevin Paulsen but an unearned run from Siena in the seventh gave it the final 3-1 lead. 
 
Olver, who finished the afternoon giving up three runs, two earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts through 6.2 innings.  Jacob Lysiak  pitched 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.  Evan Wexler, who started at catcher, went 1-for-3 with a walk.
 
Game Two
Niagara came back twice in the late game but couldn’t climb all the way back as it lost the second game 12-11. 
 
The team trailed 8-1 heading into the last of the fourth, but would get back within two-runs as they hit around the order.  Greg Rodgers led off with a walk then Jeff Calhoon drew a walk and Paulsen singled to left to load the bases with one out in the inning.  Thomas Rodrigues followed-up with a single to right field for the first of five-consecutive run-scoring at bats.  Michael Fuhrman, Joel Klock, Ryan McCauley, and Pavel Chavez-Rusova all brought in RBIs as the Purple Eagles got back within 8-6.
 
They brought in a pair in the sixth but went into the bottom of the seventh trailing 12-8.  Three-straight walks opened the inning and a SAC-fly from Fuhrman brought in a run and left two runners in scoring position.  Klock singled through the right side to bring the Purple Eagles within a pair and a McCauley SAC-fly got NU within one, but that was as close as it would get as a pop-up ended the game and Siena came away with a 12-11 win.
 
Fuhrman, Klock, McCauley, and Rodgers all finished with two RBIs while Paulsen, Chavez-Rusova, and Rodrigues all added one.  Matt Munson (0-1) got the start and took the loss.   
 
The two teams meet again tomorrow at Sal Maglie Stadium for the final game of the series.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.