STAFF REPORTS
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NIAGARA UNIV. — The Niagara baseball team swept a doubleheader with Saint Peter’s on Sunday to complete its three-game series sweep of the Peacocks.
Game #1: Niagara 7, Saint Peter’s 0
The Purple Eagles (13-9, 4-2 MAAC) dominated the Peacocks (0-9, 0-0 MAAC) in game one, earning their fourth shutout victory of the season. Both teams started slow on offense, but Niagara picked up momentum in the bottom of the third inning. Tanner Kirwer doubled down the left field line to score Julian Gallup. Peter Battaglia then hit a two-run homerun, the first homerun of his collegiate career, to put Niagara up 3-0 with only one out. With two outs on the board in the bottom of the third, Joel Brophy hit his first homerun of the season. The Purple Eagles led Saint Peter’s, 4-0, going into the fourth inning. The Purple Eagles put up the rest of their runs in the bottom of the fifth. Greg Cullen singled through the left side to send Kirwer home. Philippe Langlois hit a sac fly to score Cullen and Joseph Tevlin doubled down the left field line to knock home NU’s final run of the game. Battaglia led Niagara with two RBI and Kirwer and Brophy had a team-best two hits and two runs scored each. Kirwer also had a team-high two doubles. On the mound, Daniel Procopio (3-2) picked up is third win of the season, striking out eight batters in 6.0 innings pitched. He did not walk any batters and allowed only five hits.
Game #2: Niagara 8, Saint Peter’s 1
Saint Peter’s got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Peacocks, however, were no match for the Purple Eagles. NU tied things up, 1-1, in the bottom of the first. Owen Dziados reached base on a fielding error and Cullen scored. In the bottom of the fourth, Kirwer singled to shortstop to score Gallup. Battaglia then had an RBI double to put Niagara up, 4-1. In the bottom of the fifth, NU extended its lead, 5-1; a sac bunt from Gallup scored Dziados. In the bottom of the sixth, with Darian Blanks on base, Kirwer doubled, then advanced to third base on the throw, sending Blanks home. Cullen and Trevor McCauley each knocked in a run to cement the Purple Eagles’ victory. Battaglia and Kirwer had a team-best two RBI each. Cullen led the Purple Eagles with four hits, three doubles and two stolen bases. Matthew Brash (4-0) remained undefeated on the mound. In 7.0 innings pitched, he struck out six batters and allowed only five hits and one run.
Niagara will play a single game with Little 3 rival St. Bonaventure on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in Olean.
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