SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Niagara softball team dropped both ends of its doubleheader to Syracuse on Wednesday evening. The Purple Eagles stood toe-to-toe with the Orange for a majority of the day, nearly rallying in the seventh inning before time ran out to wrap things up.
 
Niagara 4, Syracuse 12 (5 innings)

• T2 | After both pitchers faced the minimum in the first, Rachel Funk got Purple Eagles on the board in the second. Funk sent a high liner over the shortstop for a one-out single, took second on a passed ball, then raced home when Maggie Vesneske's bloop single into right field gave Funk enough time to race around third and back home standing up.
• B2 | Syracuse got runners onto first and second to threaten, but Karsen Cotton worked her way out of the jam and ended the inning by forcing a fly ball into left, where Madison Rastello gloved it for the third and final out.
• T4 | Niagara got two runs back to cut the deficit to 4-3. Tara Driver led the inning off with a single and took second and third by way of errant pitches. She came home on a Maria Gabriele sac fly deep in foul territory in left. After Funk was plunked, she was able to score from first when a Vesneske single to right was exacerbated by an error on a throw in to second.
• T5 | Trailing 9-3 entering the fifth, Jennifer Szilagyi got aboard by way of a shortstop error, then made it in from second when Jerri Orfano ripped a hard shot through the middle and safely into center field.
• At the dish, Vesneske led the way with two hits in two at-bats and an RBI. Driver, Orfano, Funk each contributed one hit apiece bringing the team total to five.
• The Purple Eagles saw Cotton, Szilagyi, and Jenna Patterson in the circle. The three pitchers combined for 12 earned runs, 11 hits, seven walks, and four strikeouts.

 
Niagara 5, Syracuse 7

• T2 | Vesneske continued to produce in game two, earning a single in her first at bat of the nightcap. The sophomore took second on a passed ball before being driven in by a Jennifer Timm single that split the gap in right-center.
• T3 | With Niagara down 3-1, Harrigan took a one-out walk before a passed ball allowed her to move into scoring position. From there, Funk battled through a lengthy at-bat before a throw to first went into the fence, plating Harrigan. Things continued to go Niagara's way when Orfano beat out a slow roller to short, placing Funk at third. Maria Gabriele capitalized on the situation with a grounder to the shortstop, who sailed the ball over first, allowing Funk to come home and placing Orfano at three.
• T5 | Orfano earned a one-out walk to start things for the Purple Eagles, who trailed by four entering the frame. Gabriele followed with a walk of her own before Vesneske filled the bases with a single into left-center. Timm got Orfano home on a hard single up the left side, cutting the deficit to three while keeping the bases loaded. Entering the game as a pinch-hitter, Patterson drew a hard-fought walk to advance the runners in front of her to narrow the score to 7-5 and keep the bags full.
• B6 | Johnston kept the Orange off the board for the second straight inning after the host squad struck at least once in each of the first four innings. The junior reliever took down Syracuse in order to move the game into the seventh with Niagara needing two runs to extend the contest.
• T7 | A leadoff single from Gabriele and a single to first by Timm gave the Purple Eagles a chance to keep themselves alive. Cotton came on to pinch-hit and got aboard with a single to short before Patterson walked to load the bases once again for Niagara. Unfortunately the Orange quashed their last gasp effort and walked away with the win.
• Five Niagara batters split the team's five hits, but Patterson's two walks to load the bases proved equally important, one of which walked in a run to cut into the Orange's lead.
• Bertrand spun 4.0 solid innings, striking out six while giving up seven hits and seven total runs (six earned). In relief, Johnston continued to lower her ERA with 2.0 scoreless innings that featured just one hit and one walk against nine total batters.

 
On Deck

• MAAC play begins this weekend in New Jersey. On Friday, the team will head to Monmouth to square off against the Hawks at 1 p.m. The following day, the Purple Eagles will take on the Rider Broncs starting at 12 p.m.

 

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