NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles split Tuesday’s doubleheader against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.  They won the opener 6-3 before dropping the weather-shortened second game 4-0 at Sal Maglie Stadium.
 
Game One
The Purple Eagles (10-21) opened the scoring in the scoring in the third inning then answered every run scored by St. Bonaventure (10-15) to come away with the three-run victory. 
 
Christian Vangeison drew a bases loaded walk for one of two runs in the third inning.  Greg Rodgers was next up and brought in the second run with a RBI single.  Bonnas finally got on the board in its half of the fifth but Niagara got the run right back in the bottom of the inning.  Ryan McCauley and Vangeison got on base with a single and a walk, respectively, before Rodgers got his second RBI of the game with a double to deep center field to put NU up 3-1.
 
The game tightened up in the sixth when the Bonnies came back to tie the game in their half of the frame with a SAC-fly and a double.    
 
Heading into the last of the sixth with the game tied 3-3, the Purple Eagles but their first two batters, both coming into the game for the first time, on base.  Kevin Paulsen drew a walk while Michael Fuhrman was hit by a pitch.  Thomas Rodrigues, who had singled on a bunt earlier, showed bunt but pulled the bat back at the last second and snuck a single through the left to score Paulsen.  Two batters later, Jeff Calhoon drew a walk to load the bases before McCauley followed up with a walk of his own to put another run on the board.  Rodrigues scored on an error to extend the lead to three runs.
 
Geoff Soja came in in the seventh and gave up just one hit while getting a swinging strikeout and a pair of flyouts to get the save as the Purple Eagles doubles-up the Bonnies 6-3 in the first game.
 
Matt Munson got the start for Niagara and gave up one run on three hits through four innings.  Ben Zaccagnino (1-1) was the pitcher of record after giving up two runs on two hits through 1.1 innings and got credit for the win.  McCauley reached base each time he went to the plate as the senior went 2-for-2 with two walks.  He collected one RBI and added a run.
 
Game Two
Game two started in a light drizzle and ended in a downpour, but St. Bonaventure came away with a 4-0 win in a five-inning affair. 
 
Neither team would score a run through the first three innings but the Bonnies broke through in the fourth.  Their first run came on a wild pitch while the second came on a SAC-fly in foul territory in shallow right field.  They doubled their lead in the fifth with a two-RBI single through the left side and came away with a 4-0 win.
 
Kody Kasper (0-2) got the start and pitched 3.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits.  Fuhrman went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double. 
 
The Purple Eagles are back on the field this Saturday when they travel to Jersey City, N.J. to take on Saint Peter’s in the three-game set.