Niagara University, N.Y.—The Niagara baseball team continued it's homestand as they hosted the Marist Red Foxes to open the three game set. Despite jumping out to an early lead, the Purple Eagles fell 23-12 on Friday afternoon.
Game Recap

• Nick Veselinovic opened the game with five strikeouts in the first two innings as the Red Foxes were held at bay to open the weekend.
• In the bottom of the second inning, the Purple Eagles notched three straight hits. Max Giordano opened the inning with a single which was followed up by a Matt Ward double to put runners on second and third with no outs. On an 0-2 pitch, Cole O'Connor doubled down the left field line to drive both runners in to give Niagara a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning with the bases load, Kelly Corl singled home a run to make it 3-0. Cole Tucker came to the plate with the bases loaded, on a 3-1 pitch he drove a pitch to center field that brough home O'Connor from third on a sacrifice fly.
• Marist responded in the top of third with three runs on a home run.
• In the bottom of the third inning, Matt Ward drew a one out walk which was followed by a O'Connor single. Josh Marchese drew an eight pitch one out walk to load the bases. Brady Desjardins then drove in the fifth Purple Eagle run of the game to make it 5-3. After a pitching change, Nick Groves singled to right field and drove in O'Connor to make it 6-3. On the very next pitch, Corl singled home Marchese from second base.
• The Red Foxes once against responded as they made it a 7-5 game in the top of the fourth.
• Niagara once again came to the plate swinging, Giordano singled with one out to start the rally. Ward then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. On a 1-0 pitch, O'Connor singled to center to drive in Giordano. On the next pitch, Marchese grounded to the second basemen, the Red Foxes looked to turned an inning ending double play, but Marchese beat the return throw at first, Ward never stopped running from second base and scored the ninth Purple Eagle run.
• In the top of the fifth inning, Marist scored six runs to take a 11-9 lead. In the top of the sixth inning, the scored seven runs and made it a 18-9 lead.
• Marist added three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to take a 23-9 lead.
• In the bottom of the eight, Wyatt Palmer drove in Corl with a pinch hit single.
• Niagara hit a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the ninth as O'Connor hit his first homer of the year. Desjardins hit his first collegiate homer in the ninth with one out.

Niagara Notes

• O'Connor went 4-5 with three runs scored and four RBI. The four hits is the most in game he has had this season. It is just the fifth time in his five year career that he has had a four or more hit game. It is his third four RBI game of his career.
• Niagara drew seven walks, Groves, Marchese, and Ward each drove two walks. Cole Tucker also drew a walk.
• The Purple Eagles tied a season high 16 hits. O'Connor led the way with four hits, Groves and Corl each had three this, Giordano had two this. Palmer, Ward, Marchese, and Desjardins each had a hit.
• Tommy Bednarski pitched a scoreless ninth inning as he stuckout one and forced a double play.

Up Next

• Marist and Niagara square off again on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 2 PM.