NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles were edged in a pair of close games by the Iona Gaels on Sunday.

Niagara 0, Iona 2

The Purple Eagles were held to two hits while Iona's two-run fourth inning was all the scoring the Gaels needed.

The Gaels scored their two runs in the fourth with the first run of the game came off the bat of senior Brianna Schauer when she singled to leftfield to score one run and the second run came with two away off junior Brianna King's RBI single.

Pitcher Sydney Smyers went six innings with three strikeouts. Iona redshirt sophomore Christine Costello (1-2) took the circle in game one and recorded six strikeouts.

Niagara 4, Iona 6 (9 innings)

Game two was a different story for Niagara's offense as the Purple Eagles (1-21, 1-3 MAAC) were upended in extra innings.

Katelyn Gruarin, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI, set the table in the first inning with a leadoff double; she later scored when Amanda Werth grounded out to short, giving NU an early 1-0 lead. That lead only lasted until the bottom of the second inning when Iona put up a three spot.

In the third inning, Niagara tied the game at 3-3 with freshman Sarah Torifiso scoring on an error, then Werth singled into left scoring senior Amber Farmer who reached on a fielder's choice.

After the Gaels regain the lead with a one run fifth inning, NU tied the contest at 4-4 in the seventh inning. Sarah March led off the inning with a single to shortstop; she was later pinch ran by Danielle Stockman. Two batters later, Gruarin doubled to left field to score Stockman.

Iona (4-13, 2-0 MAAC) had the game-winning run on third with one run in its half of the seventh, but Costello lined out into a double play to force extra innings. In the eighth inning, Niagara fell to score while leaving two runners on base.

NU went scoreless in its half of the ninth inning, which left the door open for the Gaels when sophomore Kristen Turner hit a two-run walk off homer to win the game, 6-4.

Niagara will have its home opener on Wednesday, April 8 against the Akron Zips with the doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

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