Fairfax, Va.—The Niagara baseball team closed out its weekend series with George Mason on Sunday. In the first game of the day, Niagara won the opening game 8-4 and completed the Sunday sweep as they won game two 7-2.
Game One (W, 8-4)

• The Purple Eagle bats were up early with the 10:30 am start on Sunday. Kelly Corl notched the first hit of the day as he doubled to left with one out. Cole Tucker then singled through the left side and drove in Corl from second.
• George Mason responded in the bottom half of the inning and took a 2-1 lead after a full inning of play. The Patriots scored once more in the second inning and made it 3-1.
• Neither team struck again until the fifth inning. Vincent Mauro opened the inning with a leadoff double to the right center gap. Jake Hutchins was the next batter and singled to put runners on the corners. Nick Groves then walked to load the bases. After a pitching chance and a flyout, Tucker stepped in with a chance to tie the game. He singled through the right side of the infield and drive in both Mauro and Hutchins to tie the game at three. The Purple Eagles then had runners on second and third after a wild pitch. Another wild pitch allowed Groves to score from third with the fourth Purple Eagle run.
• Both teams were once again scoreless until the top of the ninth inning. Hutchins opened the inning by getting hit by a pitch and then Groves drew a walk. Corl then bunted to move both runners into scoring position. After Tucker was intentionally walked, Josh Marchese grounded out and drove in the fifth Purple Eagle run. With runners on second and third, Max Giordano hit his second homer of the season to make it 8-3.
• George Mason got one back in the bottom of the ninth but could not mount a comeback.
• Blake MacMillian started on the mound and went four innings while allowing just two earned runs. He struckout four and walked just one.
• Steven Hospital got credited with the win as he closed out the fifth inning by getting two outs.
• Zach Cameron hurled the final four innings while allowing just one run on one hit, he struckout two and got six flyouts.

Game Two (W, 7-2)

• After the short break between the games, it took until the third inning for either of the teams to push a run across. Tucked opened the third inning with a double to left field. After two flyouts, Cole O'Connor was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Both runners moved up 90 feet after a wild pitch. Matt Ward stepped in and singled to center field and drive both Tucker and O'Connor in for the first two runs of the game.
• Niagara added another run in the top of the fifth inning. O'Conner singled up the middle to start the inning. Ward then drew a walk and both O'Conner and Ward moved up on a groundout. Gavin Schrader then pinch hit and flew out to left field to drive in O'Connor from third for the third Niagara run.
• George Mason scored their first run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• In the top of the seventh inning, Josh Marchese blasted his second homer of the weekend over the right field wall to lead off the inning. Later in the inning with one out O'Connor singled and then Ward and Mauro walked to load the bases. After an out, Groves walked and drove in the fifth Purple Eagle run. Corl was the next batter and he doubled to left side and drove in two runs to make it a 7-1 game.
• The Patriots scored one run in the seven but once again couldn't mount a comeback.
• Marcus Cashman improved to 2-0 on the mound as he went five scoreless innings. He allowed just four hits while striking out five in his second outing of the weekend.
• Cameron came out of the pen and struckout two in the sixth inning. Tommy Bednarski closed out the game in the seventh as he got two groundouts and a flyout.

Niagara Notes

• Niagara is 4-3 this season, it is the first time Niagara is over .500 through its first seven games since the 2020 season which was cut short due to COVID-19.
• Tucker is leading the team with a .346 batting average this season along with eight RBI this season. He is currently third in the MAAC in hitting.
• Cashman is 2-0 for the first time in his career and is the only pitcher in the MAAC to not allow an earned run this season. He is also just one of three pitchers in the MAAC to have two wins this season.
• Marchese has been a walk machine as the already has 10 walks this season. He was walked in six of the seven games. He leads the MAAC in walks.

Up Next

• The Purple Eagles have the next four days off before starting a stretch of eight games in nine days. They head west for four games against Portland and one against Oregon.