Loudonville, NY—The Niagara baseball team improved to 10-0 in MAAC play as they opened a three-game series with Siena with a 5-4 win on Friday.
How it Happened
Niagara opened the game by getting two runners on base, but the Purple Eagles could not open the scoring.
Siena took an early 2-0 lead as they scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning.
The Purple Eagle answered in the top of the third inning. Nick Monile opened the inning with a walk and then advanced to second on a groundout. Eric Rataczak stepped to the plate and singled home Monile on the first pitch he saw to make it a 2-1 game. After a strikeout, Rataczak moved up to second on a wild pitch. Vincent Mauro stepped to the plate and reached on an error to put runners on first and second with two outs. Rees Kozar came to the plate and singled through the right side to bring home Rataczak from second to tie the game at two, both Mauro and Kozar moved up on a throwing error to put two runners in scoring position. Mauro made it a 3-2 Niagara lead as he came home on a balk.
Neither team scored again until the fifth inning as Siena tied the game with an RBI single.
The Purple Eagles once again answered as they took the lead back in the top of the sixth. Nate Milk drew a five pitch walk to open the inning which was followed up by a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Brady Desjardins drew a five pitch walk to load the bases with Rataczak coming to the plate. After seeing seven pitches, Rataczak blooped a single to right field to bring home Milk with the fourth Niagara run. With the bases still loaded, Gavin Schrader lifted a 3-2 pitch to center field that brought home Monile to give Niagara a 5-3 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Saints threatened and had runners on first and second with one out. Steven Hospital came into the game and induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Siena scored on a Niagara error in the bottom of the seventh to make it a 5-4 game. Hospital once again got out of a jam to end the inning as Niagara got another double play.
Niagara closed out the game in the final two innings as Siena was held off the scoreboard.
Niagara Notes
· Maximilian Ramirez IV started on the mound for the Purple Eagles, he went 4.0 innings while allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out three batters in his outing while getting four flyouts and four groundouts.
· Noah Richardson picked up his fourth win of the season as he went 1.1 innings while allowing one run on three hits while striking out three.
· Hospital allowed one unearned run in 1.2 innings as he notched two flyouts and a groundout.
· Zach Cameron notched his MAAC leading eighth save of the season as he pitched the final two innings. He worked around three hits while striking out two in two scoreless innings.
· Rataczak went 4-4 from the plate while also being intentionally walked. He came around to score a run while driving in two runs. It is his 19th multi-hit game of the season and his second four hit game of the season.
· Kozar notched two hits in the win, he has 10 multi-hit games this season. It was his seventh straight game with a hit and his 13th straight game in which he reached base.
· Kelly Corl returned to the lineup and played second base, he notched a hit and now has hits in three straight games.
· Monile went 1-3 with a run and a run scored as he extended his on base streak to 21 games.
· Niagara drew seven walks in the win with all seven walks coming from seven different players.
· All nine Niagara starters reached base at least once.
· Niagara improves to 10-0 in MAAC play. The Purple Eagles are one of just two teams in Division I to be undefeated in conference play.
Up Next
The Purple Eagles and Saints play the second game of the weekend series on Saturday as first pitch is scheduled for 1 PM.
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