New Rochelle, N.Y.—The Niagara baseball team opened its final road series of the regular season on Friday afternoon as they took on the Iona Gaels. Despite trailing after five innings, Niagara completed the comeback and won 8-5 to open the weekend.
Game Recap

• The two starting pitchers were locked in a pitching duel through the first four innings.
• Niagara opened the scoring in the top of the fifth inning. Matt Ward opened the inning with a four pitch walk. Two pitches later, Josh Marchese singled through the left side to put runners on the corners. Brady Desjardins then flied out on the first pitch he saw to center field, Ward scored on the play to make it 1-0.
• In the bottom half of the fifth inning, Iona used six hits to scored five runs to take a 5-1 lead.
• The Purple Eagles put a dent in the Iona lead in the top of the sixth inning. Vincent Mauro opened the inning with a five pitch walk, he later advanced to second a balk. Max Giordano was in a 0-2 hole but then roped a triple to right field to drive in Mauro from second. After a pitching change, Cole O'Connor doubled down the left field line to drive in Giordano to make it 5-3 Iona. Ward then flew out to right field that moved O'Connor to third with one out. With Marchese at the plate, O'Connor came home on a wild pitch to make it a one run game.
• Iona went down 1,2,3 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Niagara tied the game in the top of the seventh inning. Giordano pulled a double down the left field line with one out in the frame. After an O'Connor groundout moved Giordano to third, Ward drove in Giordano with a single to tie the game.
• Desjardins opened the top of the eighth inning with a walk. With the lineup turning over, Nick Groves moved Desjardins to second with a sacrifice bunt. After a pitching change, Kelly Corl singled a 2-1 pitch through the left side to drive in Desjardins with the go-ahead run.
• Clinging on to a one run lead entering the ninth the Purple Eagles looked to extend their lead. Giordano started the inning with an infield single, O'Connor then walked to put runners on first and second. Ward moved the runners up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Marchese was then intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. On an 0-1 pitch, Desjardins lifted a flyball to right field for a sacrifice fly to extend the Niagara lead. O'Connor increased the lead to 8-5 as he scored on a wild pitch.
• Zach Cameron closed out the Gaels in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the Niagara win.

Niagara Notes

• Steven Hospital came in the fifth inning in relief of Marcus Cashman. Hospital went 2.2 innings while allowing just one run on two hits. He struck out three while picking up his sixth win of the season which is second in the MAAC.
• Cameron pitched two innings out of the bullpen, he allowed two hits while striking out two batters. He has nine saves this season which is second in the MAAC and second in single season in Niagara history. The record is 10 set by Tyler Addison in 2006.
• Giordano led the way at the plate by going 3-4, he was just a homer away from the cycle. He drove in one run, drew one walk, and scored three runs. He is third in the MAAC in hitting at .387. Prior to the game, Giordano was named the 49^th best outfielder in Division I by D1Baseball.com.
• Niagara had 10 hits as a team with six Purple Eagles having a hit. Groves and O'Connor each had two hits.
• The Purple Eagles drew nine walks while the Niagara pitching staff issued just one walk.
• Niagara sits a half game back of Quinnipiac for the fourth spot in the MAAC standings. The Purple Eagles hold the tiebreaker with the Bobcats and Manhattan Jaspers who are a half game back of Niagara.

Up Next

• The Purple Eagles and Gaels meet again in New Rochelle on Saturday with first pitch slated for 1 PM.