RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles softball team picked up a third-straight split in MAAC play in a road doubleheader against the Manhattan Jaspers on Saturday afternoon. After falling 4-1 in the first game of the afternoon, a three-run effort in the sixth inning of game two propelled the Purple Eagles to a 5-3 victory over Manhattan at Gaelic Park.
 
Sarah March hit a team best .571 (4-for-7) in the two-game set, registering one RBI and one double for the Purple Eagles (5-29, 3-5 MAAC). Chanelle Ward drove in two runs in Niagara's win while hitting 2-for-7 on the day. Sarah Trifoso (2-for-4) and Jerri Ann Orfano (2-for-6) also had multiple hits on the day.
 
Sydney Smyers picked up her first win of the season in the circle, finishing the day with four strikeouts while allowing three earned runs against on seven hits in 7.0 innings of work. Sierra Bertrand took the loss in the first game but picked up her first career save in the Purple Eagles' win, finishing the day with four strikeouts of her own and four runs against on seven hits.
 
Manhattan 4, Niagara 1
 
In the first game of the day, the Jaspers took a 4-0 lead through the first three innings. Niagara had a chance to come back and tie the game in the top of the seventh, but finished the inning with just one run in the loss. Bertrand gave up four runs on seven hits in four innings in the circle, while striking out three batters. Smyers completed the game with two innings of work and allowed no Manhattan batters on base, registering one strikeout.
 
The Jaspers (20-16, 5-5 MAAC) scored once in the first inning before a two-run home run to right field by Manhattan's Shannon Puthe made it a 3-0 advantage. Bertrand and the Purple Eagles would give up one more run in the bottom of the third, and Smyers entered the circle in the fifth for Niagara.
 
In the top of the seventh, Niagara loaded the bases off of singles by Ward and Bridget Hogan before Erin Bohan reached first on a walk. Orfano was the next batter up, and she walked as well, scoring pinch runner Jessica Chandler to make it 4-1. With the bases still loaded and one out on the board, Hogan was thrown out at home by the pitcher before a line out by Brianna Clark ended the game in a win for Manhattan.
 
Niagara 5, Manhattan 3
 
After her strong relief effort late in game one, Smyers started in the circle in game two. After an impressive outing at Akron earlier in the week, Smyers was rewarded with her first win of the season in game two against Manhattan, striking out three batters while giving up just three runs on seven hits.
 
The Purple Eagles wasted no time getting things started in the doubleheader's second game, scoring twice in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Maria Gabriele sent a hit to right field that was dropped by the outfielder, as Ward reached home to open the scoring. On the next at-bat, Hogan scored on a sacrifice fly from Jennifer Szilagyi.
 
Manhattan would come back, however, taking a 3-2 lead over Niagara. Briana Matazinsky hit a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the first to tie the game, and Elena Bowman hit a bases-loaded RBI single to right field to put the Jaspers out front.
 
Smyers held off the Jaspers from that point on, and Bertrand did not give up a hit in the final two innings to make the save for Niagara. In the top of the sixth inning, Niagara loaded the bases with singles from Taylor Moody, Trifoso, and Victoria Bretz. March came up to bat at the top of the Niagara order, and was hit by a pitch, scoring Moody from third. That set the stage for Ward, the next batter up, who slammed a two-run single to right field for a 5-3 Niagara lead, and that would be enough to preserve the victory.
 
Niagara concludes its weekend road trip tomorrow as the Purple Eagles face the Saint Peter's Peacocks. Opening pitch for the doubleheader on Sunday, April 24 is set for 12 p.m.

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