NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. — Niagara baseball closed out the regular season falling to Mount St. Mary's 12-5 Friday afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at Bobo Field.
The Purple Eagles wrapped up the regular season 26-19-1, 20-10 MAAC, while the Mountaineers closed their season at 22-26, 13-17 MAAC.
Niagara wasted little time getting on the board as Elijha Hammill launched a solo home run to give the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead in the first.
Mount St. Mary's took control of the game in the top of the second, plating nine runs. David Stokely singled home the first run of the inning. Ryan McKay then walked home a run and Sam Meyer followed with an RBI single that scored another.
Purple Eagles starter Gage Wheaton was lifted with the bases loaded and none out. Niagara turned to Nathan Harb.. Ty Fredo greeted Harb with a bases-clearing triple that drove in three more. Christian Bauman then hit a two-run homer, and Alex Mendes followed with a solo shot on the very next pitch to make it a 9-1 game.
Meyer homered in the third for the Mountaineers to put them up nine runs, but the Purple Eagles clawed back in the bottom of the frame.
Brooks led off with a single to center and Hammill followed immediately with his second home run of the game, a two-run shot off Jackson Snyder that pulled the Purple Eagles within four at 10-3. Curtis McKay kept the inning alive with a double down the left field line before Snyder was replaced by Kaden Kimble.
With two outs, Nick Cote drove a two-run homer to make it a 10-5 ballgame, scoring McKay.
The final run of the game happened in the top of the fourth as Phoenix Williams made it 12-5 Mountaineers, with an RBI double to right field.
Nate Bennett came in for relief for the Purple Eagles, throwing 5.0 innings allowing three runs on five hits, while punching out five batters.
Eddie Dolansky and Rece Allensworth threw the eighth and ninth respectively for Niagara both throwing shutout innings.
Game Notes
Niagara is now 9-4 all-time against Mount St. Mary's
Hammill extended his on-base streak to 14 games
Brooks tallied three base knocks for the eighth time this season
Cote hit his first collegiate home run of the season
Up Next
Niagara heads into the postseason for the MAAC tournament starting Wednesday May 20 at Heritage Financial Park in Wappingers Falls, NY.
