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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Due to a day one rainout, the Niagara softball team was forced to play 16 innings of MAAC Tournament play on Friday afternoon. Niagara first trumped top-seeded Siena before falling to Marist and Fairfield.

"I believe early on we just did not know how to win," said interim head coach Larry Puzan. "We struggled, but when we finally figured it out, we won nine-straight games. I am glad we had this opportunity to play in the MAAC Tournament, both for the seniors and for the underclasswomen. Our seniors will finish there career with a great experience, and our returning athletes have gained invaluable experience to take with them into their next season."

Niagara 6, Siena 3

Senior Alexis Wayne drove in a season-high four RBIs to lead the No. 4 Purple Eagles (16-30, 9-7 MAAC) past No.1 Siena (21-26, 12-4 MAAC), 6-3.

Niagara held a 3-2 lead when the game was suspended Thursday night due to darkness. An RBI-single from senior Becky Zill and two more from Wayne put Niagara ahead going into the break.

Play resumed slightly before 10 a.m. on Thursday, picking up at the top of the sixth inning.

Niagara nearly retired the side to begin the sixth, but after a dropped foul ball, Siena tied the contest with a single down the leftfield line to score the runner on second. Junior Jennifer Sansano threw one of her 12 strikeouts to end the inning with the scored tied, 3-3, heading into the final frame.

Junior Brittany Richberg kick started the seventh inning offense with her second hit of the game, a single to left field. Sophomore Katelyn Gruarin advanced Richberg with a sacrifice bunt, but she would reach on her own with a throwing error by the third baseman. With one out Zill was intentionally walked to load the bases, but a second base-on-balls brought home Richberg to put Niagara back on top, 4-3.

With runners on each bag Wayne smacked a two-RBI single up the middle to extend her team’s lead, 6-3. Wayne finished the game 2-for-4 and is hitting .636 this season when the bases are loaded. 

Sansano (11-12) struck out one more and popped out two batters to end the seventh and give Niagara its first win in MAAC Tournament play since 2010.

Jessika-Jo Sandrini drew the loss for the Saints, allowing four earned runs on nine hits, walking two batters while striking out eight.

Marist 2, Niagara 0

Jennifer Sansano finished the game at the top of the record books, but a fourth inning two-run homer was the difference as Niagara dropped its second contest of the to Marist (29-24, 10-6), 2-0.

Sansano surpassed the single-season strikeout mark of 178 set by former Niagara hurler Joni Sontrop in 1998, with her 179^th to lead off the top of the second inning. The 2013 MAAC Pitcher of the Year drew the loss, finishing with eight strikeouts while allowing two earned runs on four hits. She completed 2013 with 185 total strikeouts which stands as the 20th most by any MAAC pitcher in a single season.

Marist hurler Emily Osterhaus (13-9) held the Niagara offense in check, throwing a two-hitter to shutout the Purple Eagles for just the fourth time this season.

Seniors Gabrielle Lustrinelli and Alexis Wayne collected Niagara’s two hits, both singles to the middle of the field.

Fairfield 3, Niagara 1

For the second time in the afternoon, a two-run home run proved to be the difference as the Fairfield Stags (28-20, 12-4 MAAC) edged the Niagara Purple Eagles, 3-1.

Fairfield scored first in the opening inning by stealing home while another runner stole second. The Stags extended their lead to three in the fourth frame with a deep shot over the centerfield wall to score two more runs. 

Ambur Farmer gave Niagara its offense, recording her 15^th RBI of the season with a double to right center scoring sophomore Amanda Werth.

Junior Kim Bryson (3-15) drew the loss in the circle, allowing three runs and tossing five strikeouts. Bryson combined with Jennifer Sansano, whom entered to pitch the final 1.2 innings, to keep the 2013 MAAC Player of the Year Lauren Liseth hitless, going 0-for-3 with a walk, including freshman Ally Gay’s diving catch in right field to keep her off the board.

Niagara ends its 2013 campaign with a 16-30 overall mark, 9-7 in conference play. The program graduates three seniors in Lustrinelli, Wayne, and Zill.

"We owe so much to our three seniors," Puzan continued. "This group has a certain kind of bond that truly made us successful. We like to say that we coach more than softball, and they all now have something more to take away from their college experience."