Live Stats

The Purple Eagles softball team is preparing to play on home field for the first time this season, after starting the year with a 24-game road trip. Niagara is scheduled for 14 home games in 2016 after posting a 3-7 home mark last season, highlighted by a sweep of Saint Peter's for Senior Day on April 26, 2015.
 
Niagara (2-22, 0-2 MAAC) is scheduled for three doubleheaders at home this weekend, the first of which pits the Purple Eagles against the rival St. Bonaventure Bonnies Thursday, April 14 starting at 3:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out

• Niagara came up short in all three games of a tripleheader at Nevada last Friday, losing the first two by scores of 4-3 and the final game 2-0.
• Niagara found themselves down by one in the first game heading into the top of the second. Leadoff singles by Jennifer Szilagyi and Taylor Moody put runners on base. With two outs and the two runners in scoring position, Victoria Bretz singled through the right side to give Niagara a two-run lead.
• Niagara was down by another run in the top of the fourth when Brianna Clark sent one over the left field wall to tie it at 3. Nevada would hold off the Purple Eagles lineup and tack on one more to take game one.
• In game two, Niagara was held scoreless until the top of the seventh, when they nearly came back to win.
• Clark opened the Niagara scoring, ripping a double down the left field line to score Szilagyi and Moore, followed by an RBI single from Jerri Ann Orfano to make it 4-3. Nevada would buckle down and get the final outs of the game and hold off the comeback.
• Chanelle Ward finished the series as the team's leading hitter, going 4-for-8 from the plate. Clark hit 3-for-8 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.

 
Niagara Notes

• Freshman Sierra Bertrand continues to rack up the strikeouts. Her 7.1 K's per seven innings is the second-best mark in the MAAC.
• Bertrand leads the Purple Eagles in ERA (2.71), wins (two), and strikeouts (42).
• Szilagyi leads Niagara with eight runs batted in this season, while March, Hogan, and Jennifer Timm are tied for second on the team with six RBI's.
• March leads the Purple Eagles with a .344 batting average, 25 total hits, three home runs, and a .541 slugging percentage.
• March (22 put outs, three assists) and Szilagyi (19 put outs, seven assists) both have a perfect fielding percentage to this point in the season. Ward has just one fielding error to go with 20 put outs and 39 assists for a fielding percentage of .983.

 
Scouting the Bonnies (6-22, 3-7 Atlantic-10)

• In the A-10 the Bonnies rank second in stolen bases per game (1.64) and fifth in batting average (.255), and slugging percentage (.381)
• Kristen Hickling is second in the A10 with 3 saves, while Kelli Rohan is leading the conference in triples with four.
• Rohan leads St. Bonnies in batting with a .391 average, .573 slugging percentage, and seven doubles.
• In the circle, Carly Bilchak leads the Bonnies with a 5.64 ERA with 5 wins in 12 starts. In 58.1 innings pitched she has all 84 hits and 47 earned runs, while striking out 18.

  
Next Appearance

• Niagara will stay home through the weekend and take on MAAC rivals Iona on Saturday, April 16 and Fairfield on Sunday, April 17.

 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for softball updates, follow @NiagaraSoftball. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.