GAME 1
SCORE	No. 3 Rider 12 – No. 6 Niagara 4
RECORDS	Rider (19-16, 18-16 MAAC) - Niagara (17-16, 17-15 MAAC)
LOCATION	Sonny Pittaro Field

 
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Niagara baseball team was swept by Rider in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament on Thursday to bring its 2021 season to a close.

Game Recap

• The Purple Eagles took the early 1-0 lead after a solo homerun from Dawson Bailey in the top of the first inning.
• Rider, however, claimed the lead in the bottom of the first, scoring one run on a bases-loaded walk to tie the score, 1-1, and then scoring three runs on two singles to get ahead of NU, 4-1.
• The Broncs extended their lead, 7-1, in the bottom of the second inning.
• In the top of the third, Cole Tucker doubled down the left field line, scoring Bailey to leave Niagara trailing by five, 7-2.
• The Purple Eagles cut Rider's lead to four runs, 7-3, in the fifth after an RBI single from Cole O'Connor.
• The Broncs, however, added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to get ahead by seven, 10-3.
• In the top of the seventh, Tucker singled to center field, once again scoring Bailey to leave Niagara down by just six, 10-4, but Rider added two runs in the bottom of the inning and held NU off in the remaining two innings to earn the 12-4 win.

Eagle's Eye On

• O'Connor led the Purple Eagles with three hits, while Bailey, Tucker and Michael Gabriele each added two hits.
• Tucker head a team-high two RBIs.
• Marcus Cashman (2-2) took the loss on the mound. He fanned three and gave up five earned runs on four hits in 1.0 inning pitched.

 

GAME 2
SCORE	No. 3 Rider 8 – No. 6 Niagara 5
RECORDS	Rider (20-16, 18-16 MAAC) - Niagara (17-17, 17-15 MAAC)
LOCATION	Sonny Pittaro Field

 
Game Recap

• A lead-off solo homerun from Max Giordano gave the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead over the Broncs in the top of the second inning.
• The Broncs tied things up, 1-1, in the bottom of the second.
• In the bottom of the third, Rider took the lead, 3-1, after an RBI single and a sacrifice fly. The Broncs added one more run in the bottom of the fifth to take a three-run lead, 4-1.
• In the top of the sixth, a sacrifice fly from Peter Battaglia cut the Rider lead to two, 4-2.
• A two-RBI triple and an RBI single from Rider in the bottom of the sixth extended its lead, 7-2.
• In the bottom of the seventh, a solo homerun gave the Broncs and 8-2 lead over the Purple Eagles.
• In the top of the eighth inning, Battaglia blasted his seventh homerun of the season over the left field fence, plating two runs to leave NU down by just four, 8-4.
• Tucker hit a solo shot down the left field line in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough to overcome Rider as the Broncs swept the doubleheader to eliminate Niagara from the MAAC Tournament.

Eagle's Eye On

• Matt Zaremba had a team-high three hits. Battaglia, O'Connor, Tucker and Liam Ward each added two hits.
• Battaglia batted in a team-best three runs.
• Jacob Bruning (3-3) took the loss. He struck out one and gave up four earned runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings pitched.

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