NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Niagara baseball team is still in contention for a spot in the MAAC tournament after a doubleheader split with the Manhattan Jaspers on Thursday.
Game 1: Niagara 9, Manhattan 3
- The Jaspers (25-27, 13-10 MAAC) got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead over the Purple Eagles (23-25, 12-11 MAAC) in the top of the third inning.
- Niagara answered in the bottom of the third. Owen Dziados singled to left field, plating both Michael Gabriele and Julian Gallup. Greg Cullen then scored on a throwing error by Manhattan’s catcher to put NU in the lead, 3-1.
- In the bottom of the fifth, a sac bunt from Trevor McCauley sent Julian Gallup home. Wyatt Olson reached on a fielder’s choice and Dziados scored, extending the Purple Eagles’ lead, 5-1.
- Manhattan scored twice in the top of the sixth frame, but still trailed the Purple Eagles, 5-3.
- Niagara added on some insurance runs late in the game. In the bottom of the sixth, an RBI single from Dziados put NU up, 6-3. In the bottom of the eighth stanza, another RBI single from Dziados and a two-RBI double from McCauley iced NU’s 9-3 victory.
- Dziados and Gabriele led the team in hits with three each.
- Dziados had a team-high four RBIs, while McCauley added three.
- Gallup led the Purple Eagles in stolen bases with two.
- On the mound, Cody Eckerson (4-5) earned the win, fanning five in 5.2 innings pitched.
- Tyler Howard earned his second save of the season, striking out two in 3.1 innings pitched.
Game 2: Manhattan 6, Niagara 5 (8 innings)
- The Jaspers once again jumped out to an early lead in the second game, scoring twice in the top of the second inning.
- In the bottom of the third, Joseph Tevlin doubled to left center, scoring Philippe Langlois to half Manhattan’s lead, 2-1.
- Niagara tied things up, 2-2, in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Benny Serrano.
- A three-run homerun from the Jaspers in the top of the fifth put them back in the lead, 5-2, but the Purple Eagles were unfazed. In the bottom of the sixth, Wyatt Olson doubled to center field, sending McCauley home, and a two-RBI single from Serrano knotted the score, 5-5.
- The Purple Eagles and the Jaspers remained scoreless in the seventh inning, forcing the game into extras. The Jaspers scored on a passed ball in the top of the eighth and held NU scoreless in the bottom of the inning to earn the 6-5 victory.
- Olson, Serrano and Tevlin each had a team-best two hits.
- Serrano led the team in RBIs with a career-high three.
- Tyler Howard (3-3) took the loss on the mound.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles host the Manhattan Jaspers at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 for the final game of the series. The winner will clinch a spot in the MAAC tournament.