NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
ITHACA, N.Y. — In their first matchup since 1979, the Purple Eagles split a doubleheader with the Cornell Big Red on Sunday.
Game 1: Cornell 17, Niagara 5
- The Big Red (2-9) got off to a fast lead, scoring 11 runs in the first four innings of play.
- The Purple Eagles (5-11) got on the board in the top of the seventh. Joseph Tevlin grounded out to the pitcher to score Wyatt Olson, but NU still trailed by 10 runs, 11-1.
- Cornell added on six more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend its lead, 17-1.
- The Purple Eagles picked up some offensive momentum in the eighth inning. Julian Gallupscored on a balk. With bases loaded, Owen Dziados reached base on a fielding error by the Big Red’s third baseman, sending Kyle LaPlante and Peter Battaglia home. Michael Gabriele then singled to center field to score Trevor McCauley, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Cornell’s lead and the Big Red earned the 17-5 victory.
- Gabriele and Battaglia led the Purple Eagles with two hits each.
- Dziados had a team-high two RBIs.
- Gallup, Battaglia, Olson and Gabriele each had one double.
- On the mound, Cody Eckerson (0-2) fanned three in 2.0 innings pitched.
Game 2: Niagara 7, Cornell 4
- Niagara came out strong in game two. In the top of the first, Greg Cullen singled to center field to score Michael Gabriele and put NU on the board. Battaglia tripled to center, scoring Cullen. A sac bunt from McCauley sent Battaglia home and gave Niagara a 3-0 lead.
- Cornell scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning and trailed the Purple Eagles, 3-2.
- In the top of the sixth, Gallup hit his first homerun of the season to extend the Purple Eagles’ lead, 4-2.
- The Big Red scored once in the sixth and once in the seventh to tie things up, 4-4.
- In the top of the eighth, Dziados singled up the middle, scoring Darian Blanks. Scores from LaPlante and Gallup put NU up, 7-4.
- The Purple Eagles held Cornell off for the remainder of the game and earned the victory to split the day with the Big Red.
- Cullen, Battaglia and Gallup led NU with two hits each.
- Gallup had a team-high two RBIs.
- Cullen, Battaglia and Blanks each had one stolen base.
- Tyler Howard (1-1) earned the win on the mound, striking out three batters in 1.2 innings pitched, and Matthew Grace earned his first collegiate save.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles open MAAC play with a three-game series at Fairfield March 30-31.
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