DURHAM, N.C. – An explosive offense and dominant pitching led the Purple Eagles to their most lopsided win of the young season with a 22-2 victory over the N.C. Central Eagles on Sunday afternoon.
 
Niagara (3-4) was able to slowly build a 4-0 lead through the first five innings behind a strong outing on the mound from Drew Fittry. The redshirt-junior gave up four hits through the five shutout innings on the way to his first win of the season. He finished the day with seven strikeouts and issued one walk.
 
"Drew gave us a great start and we played phenomenal defense all day," head coach Rob McCoy said. "Any time you pitch and play defense, it takes the pressure off hitter which usually leads to decent offensive days."
 
By the time N.C. Central was able to break through with two runs on as many hits in the sixth, it was too late as NU had already blown the game wide open with nine runs in the top half of the inning.
 
Greg Rodgers, Pavel Chavez-Rusova, and Hayden Coll tied for the team lead with four apiece, but Rodgers collected all four of his RBIs and two of his four total hits in the nine-run sixth inning. He brought in the first run of the frame with a single up the middle before coming back up to the plate as the Purple and White batted around the order and brought in another three runs with a bases-loaded double to center field.
 
Chavez-Rusova brought in all three Niagara runs in the eighth inning with a three-run homerun down the left-field line that extended the lead to 17-2.
 
One inning later, Anthony Firenzi hit his second homerun of the series to start a five-run ninth. The freshman finished the game going 3-for-7 with two RBIs. Coll added NU's final four runs with a homerun to right field for his first career grand slam. It was also his first hit in the NCAA.

Ben Zaccagnino pitched the final two shutout innings out of the bullpen and gave up two hits. 

Six players finished with at least two RBIs for Niagara in its 22-2 win. Taylor Hackett (three) and Jordan Schwartz (two) joined Rodgers, Chavez-Rusova, Coll, and Firenzi. Michael Fuhrman and Joel Klock both added one RBI apiece.
 
"The guys showed up great today," McCoy said. "We talk about championship Sundays every year. Sunday wins usually go to tough teams and today we were tough. It shows me that this team is determined to succeed."
 
Sunday's game ended the month of February for the Purple Eagles. The team is back on the diamond on Saturday, March 1 for the first of two doubleheaders against Bucknell.