TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Niagara Purple Eagles opened the 2014 season with a 13-2 loss to the No. 5 Florida State Seminoles on Friday night.
 
The Purple Eagles (0-1) broke through in the top of the seventh when Taylor Hackett drew a bases-loaded RBI walk. Facing a 5-0 deficit to start the inning, Michael Fuhrman got NU's first hit of the game with a double down the rightfield line. Joel Klock and Greg Rodgers got on base to load them up for Hackett's walk. Klock came around to score on a play where Rodgers was picked off to end the inning down 5-2.
 
"I thought we had a great effort tonight," head coach Rob McCoy said. "All things being considered, these guys really fought through adversity and really competed with one of the best teams in the country."
 
Just to get to the game, the team had to take a bus to Pittsburgh to catch a flight to Houston where they spent Thursday night. They hopped a flight to New Orleans Friday morning where they then took a bus to Tallahassee to get to Dick Howser Stadium in time for first pitch.
 
Jordan Schwartz started on the mound for the Purple and White and kept No. 5 Florida State at bay for most of his 5.2 innings of work.  Two consecutive strikeouts got the junior out of the first inning with only one run allowed on a pair of doubles before he forced the Seminoles into three groundouts in a scoreless second, the last of which came on a strong defensive play from shortstop Thomas Rodrigues.
 
The Seminoles were able to add another pair of runs in the third with two out on the board until another strong play from Rodrigues ended the inning. The Seminoles scored another pair in the fifth before the Purple Eagles went to the bullpen in the sixth.  Schwartz ended with five earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and three walks through his 5.2 innings.
 
The Purple Eagles cut the deficit to three runs, 5-2, in the seventh, but FSU was able to add another five runs in the bottom of the inning and three in the eighth on their way to a 13-2 win.
 
"Unfortunately you have to compete for all nine innings to be successful," McCoy continued. "We'll get some rest and get after it again tomorrow. It feels great to be playing baseball again."
 
These two teams go head-to-head again tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.