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Niagara University Athletics

Giordano Trots Bases
Niagara University
4
Marist MARIST 13-31, 7-10 MAAC
16
Winner Niagara NIA-BASE 19-18, 9-8 MAAC
Marist MARIST
13-31, 7-10 MAAC
4
Final
16
Niagara NIA-BASE
19-18, 9-8 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Marist MARIST 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 4 6 1
Niagara NIA-BASE 2 1 0 6 2 1 1 3 X 16 19 2

W: Laird, Zac (1-0) L: Drake Quinn (1-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Purple Eagles Fly Over Marist On Record Setting Day At Home

Niagara University, N.Y.—The Niagara Purple Eagles bounced back from Friday defeat as they out slugged the Marist Red Foxes and won by a score of 16-4 at Bobo Field on Saturday.
Game Recap
  • The Purple Eagles started flying early in the game as Nick Groves singled to leadoff which was followed by a Kelly Corl double to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. With Cole Tucker at the plate, the starting pitcher for Marist committed a balk to allow Groves to come home with the first run of the game. Following the balk, Tucker flew out to right field but Corl came home on the sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
  • Matt Ward stepped to the plate to start the bottom of the second inning and worked a 2-0 count. On the 2-0 pitch, he blasted his second homer of the season to give Niagara a 3-0 lead.
  • Marist also scored on a balk in the top of the third inning to cut the score to 3-1 Niagara.
  • In the bottom of the fourth inning, the bats came back alive. With one out in the inning, Cole O'Connor doubled down the right field line. After a flyout, Brady Desjardins came to the plate with two outs and a runner on second base. On a 1-2 pitch, Desjardins sliced a double down the right field line and traded spots with O'Connor as he came home for the fourth Niagara run. After a walk to Groves, Corl came to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. The junior singled home Desjardins to extend the lead to four. On the next pitch, Tucker drove in Groves from second on a single up the middle. Just two pitches later, Vincent Mauro blew the game open as he homered to right center to make it 9-1.
  • In the top of the fifth, Marist responded with a pair of solo homers to cut the Niagara lead to six.
  • The Niagara bats got back to work in the bottom of the fifth. O'Connor doubled with one out to start a rally. After a strikeout, Desjardins once again doubled and drive in O'Connor from second. After a pitching change, Groves ripped the first pitch he saw to right field and drove in Desjardins to build a 11-3 lead.
  • With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Max Giordano doubled to right field on a 2-2 pitch. Ward then stepped to the plate and singled home Giordano with the 12th Niagara run.
  • Josh Marchese led off the bottom of the seventh inning and was greeted by a new pitcher. After working a 2-1 count, Marchese blasted a no doubt homer to right field to increase the Niagara lead to 10.
  • In the top of the eighth, Marist scored an unearned run after a pair of Niagara errors.
  • Mauro drew a seven pitch walk to leadoff the eighth. Giordano stepped to the plate tied for the most homers in season in Niagara history with 12. On a 1-1 pitch, Giordano broke the record as he roped a line drive homer over the left field wall. Niagara held a 16-4 lead following the homer.
Niagara Notes
  • Giordano breaks a record that was originally set by Josh McCurdy in 2003. In 2012, Ryan McCauley tied the record and the record was once again tied in 2022 by Dawson Bailey. Giordano now has 23 career home runs which is tied for second in program history. He is tied with Geoff Hoover '99 and only trails former teammate Peter Battaglia who had 30 round trippers from 2017-2021.
  • Giordano joins Groves as single season record breakers this season. Groves broke the single season record for walks against St. Bonaventure on April 19th.
  • Marcus Cashman started on the mound and went 4.2 innings while allowing three runs on four hits. He struckout five, opposing hitters are hitting just .219 against him.
  • Zac Laird picked up his first win of the season as he went 3.1 innings. He allowed just one hit and one unearned run. He struckout four which tied a career high that he set last season against UNC Asheville.
  • Liam Reynolds worked around a hit in the ninth inning to close out the game, he notched two groundouts while striking out the final batter of the game.
  • The trio of Cashman, Laird, and Reynolds walked just two. It is the ninth time the pitching staff has walked two or less. Niagara is 6-3 in those games.
  • Niagara notched a season high 19 hits, it is the most hits in game since they had 21 hits against Fairfield in the MAAC Tournament last season. Niagara has 15 or more hits in six games this season, they are 5-1 when having 15 or more hits.
  • Every starter for Niagara had a hit while all but one had an RBI. O'Connor, Desjardins, and Groves all had three hits. Mauro had a team high three RBI while Groves, Corl, Giordano, Ward, and Desjardins each drove in a pair.
  • Niagara had 11 extra base hits which is a season high. It is the second time this season that Niagara hit four homers, they last hit four against Portland in a 15-7 win on March 14th.
  • The Purple Eagles have scored 10 or more runs in 12 games, they are 9-1 when scoring 10 or more.
Up Next
  • Niagara and Marist close out the weekend series with the rubber game on Sunday with first pitch slated for 12 PM at Bobo Field.
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