BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles dropped both games of Thursday's doubleheader to the Canisius Golden Griffins at Demske Sports Comple
 
Game One
Michael Fuhrman and Thomas Rodrigues turned in multi-hit games, but a big bottom of the third inning helped Canisius (27-27; 15-8 MAAC) to a 14-4 win to open the series. Rodrigues went 2-for-4 while Fuhrman led the way with a 3-for-4 game with two RBIs, two runs scored, and his fourth homerun of the year.
 
Niagara (13-31-2; 8-15 MAAC) utilized the longball to build a three-run lead in the early going. Joel Brophy went yard in the second inning to break the scoreless tie. They extended the lead in the third when Michael Fuhrman homered to straight-away center field and plated two to take a 3-0 lead.
 
The Griffs managed a rally in the bottom half of the third with 11 runs on six hits and six walks to take an 11-3 lead into the fourth.
 
Niagara hung one on the board in the sixth when Fuhrman led off with a single then stole both second and third before scoring on a groundball that stayed on the infield. Canisius responded with a pair of its own to extend the lead to 13-4.
 
Canisius scored a run in the seventh with a RBI-single to center field and held on to take the 14-4 win. Liam Stroud took the loss on the mound after throwing the first 2.2 innings of the day. Tanner Kirwer moved to the mound from shortstop and pitched a hitless bottom of the eighth.
 
Game Two
Niagara couldn't get the offense warmed up in game two on the way to a 16-4 loss to close out the day.
 
The Golden Griffins were first on the board in the second game of the afternoon after tallying three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead. Two runs on a two-out double in the second inning extended the advantage to 5-0. A seven-run fourth extended the lead to double digits, 12-0.
 
The Purple Eagles broke through in the top of the sixth. Rodrigues led off with a single down the right and stole second to get into scoring position. Christian Vangeison entered the game as a pinch hitter and doubled down the line in right. Trevor McCauley wore a pitch inside to load the bases and set up Owen Dziados to draw a bases-loaded walk and plate the first run of the game. Both Vangeison and McCauley scored in the next at bat to bring the game to a 12-3 score. A three-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth and a RBI-single extended Canisius' lead to 16-3 before Brophy entered the game to pitch and got a swinging strikeout to end the frame.

Niagara added one more run in the seventh after Rodrigues hit a triple with one out on the board. Julian Gallup entered the game to pinch run for the senior and was brought around by Christian Vangeison to bring the game to it 16-4 final.  
 
Ben Zaccagnino took the loss on the mound for the Purple and White. Rodrigues led the team at the plate with a 2-for-4 outing.
 
These two teams will meet for the regular season finale tomorrow morning. First pich has been moved up to 10:00 a.m. to avoid potential storms in the afternoon. 

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