LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The Niagara baseball team split a doubleheader with Siena in its MAAC opener on Saturday.

"The first game went as planned," said head coach Rob McCoy. "We pitched and played defense and created opportunities on offense. The second game we ran into a buzz saw in Cummings and couldn't really get anything going offensively. As a result, it put a lot of pressure on our pitching and defense to be perfect and we didn't handle it well. We will regroup tomorrow and focus on competing pitch to pitch and not get caught up in results, good or bad."

Game 1: Niagara 8, Siena 4

Siena (4-14, 1-1 MAAC) took an early 2-0 lead over the Purple Eagles (5-18-1, 1-1 MAAC), but Niagara got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Christian Vangeison was hit by a pitch, which sent home Michael Fuhrman and put the Purple Eagles down by only one run, 2-1.

In the top of the fifth, Julian Gallup scored to tie up the score, 2-2. Fuhrman grounded out to short, scoring Tanner Kirwer to give the Purple Eagles their first lead, 3-2. Scores from Taylor Hackett and Geoff Seto gave the Purple Eagles a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth, Niagara extended its lead with a solo homerun from Gallup and a score from Kirwer. The Purple Eagles were ahead of the Saints, 7-2, going into the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the eighth, Kirwer went yard to score the Purple Eagles' final run of the game.

Kirwer went 2-for-5 at the plate and had a team-high three runs. Fuhrman went 2-for-5 at the plate and had two RBIs. In the field, Joel Brophy led Niagara with 14 putouts. Cody Eckerson (2-2) faced 25 batters in 6.0 innings pitched and earned the win.

Game 2: Niagara 0, Siena 8

In game two, the Saints got an early 2-0 lead over Niagara and kept the Purple Eagles scoreless. The game ended after the top of the seventh inning.

In the field, Vangeison led Niagara with seven putouts and Greg Cullen and Fuhrman had two assists each. On the mound, Zachary Kolodziejski (0-3) faced 30 batters in 5.1 innings pitched and took the loss.

The Purple Eagles close out their three-game series with Siena on Sunday, March 27.

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