OLEAN, N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles will begin conference play with a full head of steam after sweeping the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Tuesday.
 
"Today came down to pitching and defense," head coach Rob McCoy said. "I am really proud of the way we competed inning after inning."
 
Game One
Cody Eckerson got his first collegiate win as Niagara (6-13) took the opening game 2-0.
 
The freshman from Palmyra, N.Y. threw six innings and gave up three hits while striking out seven. Geoff Soja came out of the bullpen and preserved the shutout and earned the save.
 
Anthony Firenzi led off the game with a single to left field and was brought around two batters later on a Michael Fuhrman single to right field. Joel Klock added another run in the third to make it 2-0, where the score would remain while pitching and defense kept the Bonnies off of the board.
 
Fuhrman finished 1-for-3 with a RBI to lead the Purple and White in the opener.
 
Game Two
After being held without a hit in the first inning, it was the Bonnies that opened the scoring in the second game of Tuesday's twin-billing with a two-run second inning. Those two runs were all they would score for the rest of the game as Austin Miller, Jacob Lysiak , Michael Bucci, and Soja combed for seven shutout innings.
 
Niagara began the rally in the top of the fifth when Jordan Schwartz and Mark Meisner started the inning with back-to-back singles. Joel Brophy advanced both runners 90 feet with a sac bunt to put NU in a position to take advantage of a couple defensive miscues to tie the game at 2-2.
 
The game remained tied and went into extra innings before the Purple Eagles took the final lead in the top of the ninth. Greg Rodgers singled up the middle to put a runner on for Taylor Hackett to bring around with a RBI double down the leftfield line.
 
Soja, who pitched 4.1 innings in the late game, pitched a three-up, three-down ninth to earn the win. Schwartz went 1-for-3 with a walk.

"Today will definitely give us momentum heading into conference play," said McCoy.
 
The Purple Eagles get back to work this weekend when they travel to face Siena for a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for noon.