SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Niagara softball team took game one of Sunday's doubleheader against Le Moyne 8-7, before falling in game two, 12-6. The Purple Eagles are now 11-14 on the season while the Dolphins move 9-22 overall.
How it Happened
Game 1: Niagara 8, Le Moyne 7 (8 innings)
Le Moyne would connect for two solo home runs off Maddi Hickingbottom in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead.
The Purple and White would get a run back in the second as
Hailey Cenname hit a SAC fly to center to score
Selah Moyer and cut the Le Moyne lead in half.
Niagara would tie the game at two an inning later as
Shayna Myshrall hit a long single to right to score
Maggie Kellner.
The Purple Eagles would take their first lead of the contest in the top of the fifth when
Brianna Delaney, who doubled to leadoff the frame, came around to score on a double by
Samantha Hare. Niagara's lead would grow to 4-2 later in the inning when
Natasha Limbani doubled home Baileigh McCullough, who pinch ran for Hare, from second.
After Niagara took an 6-2 lead in the top of the sixth, Le Moyne would strike for three in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 6-6, two of which came via a two-run homer off Hickingbottom.
The game would remain tied until the top of the eighth when
Sophia Marrero, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the fifth, homered to give NU a 7-6 lead. Delaney and Myshrall would then hit back-to-back doubles to make it an 8-6 lead over the Dolphins.
Le Moyne would get within one run and threaten to tie the game but Hare would cut down the game-tying run to end the contest.
Julia Thompson, who came into the circle in the sixth, earned the win.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara set season-high's in hits (17) and doubles (8) in the win.
• Limbani and Delaney led Niagara with four hits apiece, becoming the first Puprle Eagles to record a four-hit game since Kellner recorded four hits vs. Saint Peter's on May 2, 2021.
• Three of Delaney's hits went for extra bases.
• Six different Purple Eagles recorded an RBI in the contest, led by two from Myshrall, which gives her a team-high 16 on the season.
• Marrero's home run was her second of the season.
• The win for Thompson is her team-leading fifth of the season.
• Hickingbottom struck out five batters in the start, giving her 342 for her career, which is fourth most in program history.
Game 2: Niagara 6, Le Moyne 12
Junior
Sage Jackson got the start in game two for Niagara, allowing four runs in the first inning. She would start the second inning in the circle and promptly load the bases, leading to
Cara Leone entering the game for NU. Leone would use four pitches to get out of the bases loaded jam to keep the Purple Eagles down by four.
Niagara loaded the bases in the bottom half, allowing a walk from McCullough and a single from Marrero to cut the Le Moyne lead in half, 4-2, heading into the bottom of the frame.
The Dolphins would get those two runs back in the bottom half of the second, taking a 6-2 advantage over Niagara.
In the third, Myshrall connected on her team-leading sixth home run of the season, once again cutting the Le Moyne lead in half.
The Purple and White would tie the game at six with three runs in the fourth, all of which came with two outs in the inning, as Limbani singled home a pair and
Jolyn Gibbons added another on a dunk-in single to center.
From there, Le Moyne would double up Niagara to earn the 12-6 win over the Purple Eagles.
Niagara Notes
• Limbani recorded a season-high two RBI in the loss.
• Myshrall hit her sixth home run of the season and 10th of her career.
• Niagara recorded a season-high six walks, including a team-high two from McCullough.
• Four Purple Eagles recorded multiple hits in the contest.
• Myshrall scored twice in the contest, giving her eight runs scored on the season.
Up Next
Niagara will resume MAAC play with the Battle of the Bridge series against Canisius on Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 10 on ESPN+.
Tuesday's doubleheader is slated to begin at 2 p.m.
Stay connected with Niagara Softball on X, Instagram, and Facebook. Follow Niagara Athletics all year long on X, Instagram, Facebook, and purpleeagles.com.
