BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Niagara University softball team improved to 9-11 overall on the season with a sweep of Buffalo on Tuesday afternoon, the programs first since the 2008 season. Niagara took game one 4-3 in extra innings, followed by a 13-10 win in game two.
How it Happened
Game 1: Niagara 4, Buffalo 3 (10 innings)
The Puprle Eagles found themselves in a 1-0 hole heading into the top half of the fifth when
Madison LaPenta, who finished the day 2-for-3 at the dish, singled to start the inning for the Purple and White.
Lindsay Mayo would move LaPenta over to bring up
Maggie Kellner, who singles to left to bring home LaPenta from third, tying the game at 1-1.
Later in the inning with two away and Kellner standing on third,
Sophia Marrero doubled to left to make it a 2-1 game in favor of the Purple Eagles.
The Bulls would score twice on three hits in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead over Niagara.
Mayo, who was 0-for-1 at the plate coming into the inning, hit a solo home run to leadoff the seventh and tie the game at three to force extra's.
The score would remain tied heading into the ninth inning of action where LaPenta once again led Niagara off with a single. Back-to-back one-out singles loaded the bases for Niagara and freshman
Brianna Delaney would work a free pass to bring home the go-ahead run.
Julia Thompson, who came on after 7.0 innings from starter
Maddie Hickingbottom, would work around a two-out walk to secure the win in the bottom of the ninth, picking up her fourth win of the season.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara defeated UB for the first time in 10 years with its last win over its crosstown rival coming on April 9, 2014.
• Kellner recorded a team-best three hits, her XX third hit game of the season.
•
Shayna Myshrall,
Natasha Limbani and LaPenta each recorded two hits in the contest.
• Mayo's home run is her first of the season and third of her career.
• Marrero has recorded a base hit in each of the last four games, including a double in three-straight games.
• Thompson matched her career-high of four wins set during the 2022 season.
Game 2: Niagara 13, Buffalo 10
Niagara jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first as Marrero,
Selah Moyer and
Jolyn Gibbons each drove in a run for the Purple and White.
Marrero would collect her third RBI when she reached on an error to bring home Mayo in the second, the first of a three-run inning for Niagara.
The Bulls would strike for six runs off junior
Sage Jackson over the next two innings, making it a 7-6 game heading into the fourth.
Moyer and Gibbons would single to bring home two more runs for the Purple and White in the top of the fourth, while later in the inning LaPenta put a ball in play leading to Gibbons coming across to score, putting NU up by four, 10-6.
Natasha Limbani would single home Niagara's 11th run of the contest top of the fifth before UB pushed three across in the bottom half to make in an 11-9 ballgame.
The Purple Eagles would add on two insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Delaney connected on her first career home run and Moyer drove in her second run of the game with a single.
Thompson, who came on in the sixth, would allow one run in the seventh before closing the door on the Bulls and collecting her second save of the season.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara earned the sweep of Buffalo for the first time since the 2008 season.
• Moyer recorded her third-straight multi-hit game and sixth of the season.
• Limbani recorded her second three hit game of her career to improve her hit streak to six games.
• Limbani became the sixth Purple Eagle to record a home run this season, the most since eight Purple Eagles hit a long ball in the 2021 season.
• Marrero recorded three RBI and has at least one driven in each of the last four games. The sophomore also recorded her fourth-straight game with a double.
• Delaney scored a team-high four runs and now has 10 runs scored on the season, second most on the team.
• Mayo extended her on-base streak to eight games.
Up Next
The Purple Eagles will open the home portion of its schedule on Friday, March 29 when it hosts Marist for the first two of a three-game set. First pitch between Niagara and Marist is set for 1 p.m.
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