CLEVELAND, OH – The second day of the Cleveland State Dome Tournament yielded the first win of the season for the Purple Eagles softball team. Niagara was able to defeat Bowling Green in the first game of Saturday afternoon by a 4-1 score before falling 7-5 to Robert Morris. Niagara heads home from Cleveland with a record of 1-3.
 
Niagara 4, Bowling Green 1
 
In its first of two games on day two at the Cleveland State Dome Tournament, the Purple Eagles earned their first win of the season. A three-run effort in the fifth inning bolstered Niagara on the way to a 4-1 victory over the Bowling Green Falcons.
 
Freshman Sierra Bertrand made her first start in the circle, allowing one run (zero earned) on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, while striking out six in the win. Sydney Smyers entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning to pick up the save.
 
The Purple Eagles' bats were hitting strong all game against Bowling Green, as the team scored all four runs off of three home runs. Freshman Jennifer Timm opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo shot to right center, and Bertrand kicked off the three-run fifth with a solo home run to center field. Sarah March capped the Niagara scoring with a two-run home run in the fifth. March and Chanelle Ward led Niagara hitters in the game as each went 2-for-4 in the win.
 
Robert Morris 7, Niagara 5
 
The Purple Eagles generated their highest offensive output of the Cleveland State Dome Tournament against Robert Morris, but a five-run first inning for the Colonials was enough to win as Niagara dropped its final game of the weekend 7-5.
 
In the bottom of the first inning, the Colonials generated five runs on four hits and a walk, but four of those were unearned in the first start in the circle for freshman Jennifer Szilagyi. Niagara closed the deficit to two at the top of the second inning, however. After Timm singled and Maria Gabriele was walked, Szilagyi came up to bat and brought both runners home on a single up the middle before advancing to second on an errant throw. Szilagyi then advanced to third on a wild pitch and was brought home on a Sarah Trifoso single.
 
After two Robert Morris runs were scored in the bottom of the second, Niagara would only be able to get two more runs en route to the two-run loss. Trifoso picked up her second RBI of the game in the fourth inning and Timm scored Taylor Moody off a single to right field, but 7-5 was the closest the Purple Eagles could get to erasing the deficit.
 
Niagara is now off until the Elon Softball Tournament in Elon, N.C. The Purple Eagles will play Oakland University and Elon University on March 11 before a rematch with Elon and a game against Central Connecticut State on March 12.

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