LOUDONVILLE, NY – Niagara and Siena split its doubleheader on Friday with the Purple Eagles taking game one by a 3-0 margin, before the Saints rallied to take game two by the final score of 6-4.
Game 1 Recap: Niagara 3, Siena 0
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Maddie Hickingbottom struck out nine en route to her second complete-game shutout of the season.
• In the third inning,
Hannah Mingle would single up the middle to get things started for the Purple and White. The sophomore would steal second and come around to score on a one out
Lindsay Mayo single to give the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead.
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Samantha Hare would come to the dish with two away in the third and, with Mayo standing on second, promptly single to left to bring Mayo home and give Niagara a 2-0 lead.
• One inning later, Mayo would lace a two-out double to left center to bring home
Bayleigh McCullough and Put Niagara on top by three.
• Hickingbottom would allow just two hits in her final four innings of work to secure the 3-0 win for Niagara.
Niagara Notes
• Hare went 3-for-4 at the plate to get her season average to .308. In 13 league games this season, Hare has a team-best 20 hits.
• Mayo recorded her second multi-RBI game of the season and now has 10 driven in on the year.
• The top-four batters in the Niagara lineup went 6-for-10 at the plate with three RBI, a walk and a run scored.
• Hickingbottom struck out five or more batters for the 11th time this season.
• Mingle improved to a perfect 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts this season, three of which have come in league play.
Game 2 Recap: Niagara 4, Siena 6
• Siena would strike for four runs in the first two innings of play, including a two-run home run in the bottom of the first.
• In the top of the third, Niagara would get the first two batters on base and after a successful sacrifice bunt by McCullough to turn the lineup over, the Purple Eagles would get one across as Mayo reached on an infield single to bring home
Kaylee Haines from third.
• After a stolen base from Mayo to put two runners in scoring position for NU, Hare would rifle one off the pitcher's glove, allowing Mingle and Mayo to come across to score and put the Purple and White down one, 4-3.
• Despite getting the leadoff runner into scoring position in each of the next two innings, the Purple Eagles would fail to push across the game-tying run.
• After pitching 5.0 innings and allowing just four runs (three earned) on three hits, Leone was replaced by
Julia Thompson in the circle to start the sixth.
• Thompson would allow the first batter she faced to reach safely, then a pair of wild pitches allowed the next batter to push across the Saints fifth run of the contest.
• The Saints would add another insurance run before the inning came to a close.
• After Hare drove in Niagara's fourth run of the game to make it a two-run Siena lead, the Purple Eagles would load the bases, however, pinch-hitter Lily Irvine went down swinging to end the game.
Niagara Notes
• Mayo collected an RBI in back-to-back games for the first time since she drove in at least one run in three-straight games in early March.
• Hare notched RBI's number 17 and 18 in game two of the twin bill.
• Mayo recorded her seventh steal of the season and improved to 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
• The bottom third of the order, McCullough, Mingle and Haines each scored a run for Niagara in the loss.
Up Next
• Niagara returns to Monteagle Ridge for a Monday afternoon twin bill against rival Canisius on Monday, May 1. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. from Niagara Softball Field.
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