CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Purple Eagles softball team dropped its first of four games at the Cleveland State Dome Tournament this weekend, falling 8-1 to the Bowling Green Falcons. Niagara wraps up the opening day of the 2017 season later tonight with a 6 p.m. game against the Robert Morris Colonials.
The Falcons opened the game with three first-inning runs, all unearned, against Niagara pitcher Bridget Hogan. Bowling Green scored the first run of the game off a fielding error, extending the lead to 3-0 with an RBI groundout to second base and a sacrifice fly to center field.
Niagara got on the board in the bottom of the first to make it a 3-1 game. Sarah March gave the Purple Eagles a single to left center in the team’s first at-bat of the season. Hogan came to the plate with two outs on the board and singled to center field, bringing March home.
After making it 4-1 in the second inning, Bowling Green pushed the lead to 7-1 with a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Hogan was relieved by freshman Emily Johnston after 3.1 innings in the circle.
The Falcons were held to just one run and two hits the remainder of the game, but Niagara was unable to narrow the deficit as Bowling Green took the 8-1 win.
The Purple Eagles will be the designated away team in the conclusion of Saturday’s two-game set against Robert Morris.
In last season’s matchup with the Colonials at the 2016 Cleveland State Dome Tournament, Jennifer Szilagyi batted 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Sarah Trifoso also tallied two RBIs.
Taylor Moody and Jennifer Timm each went 2-for-4 at the plate as well.
Szilagyi allowed seven runs (three earned) as the pitcher in that game, allowing 11 hits and registering one strikeout.
from PurpleEagles.com via IFTTT
