May 7, 2005
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.-Marist's Chris Tracz and Niagara's Dan Griffin each posted a complete game victory for their respective squads as the two teams split a MAAC doubleheader at the McCann Baseball Field on Saturday. Marist won the first game 5-3, while Niagara took the second 3-1. The Red Foxes are now 23-17 overall and 16-4 in the league, while the Purple Eagles are 18-23 overall and 11-7 in league play.
Tracz (7-3) moved to 7-0 in MAAC play, tossing all nine innings of Game 1, while allowing two earned runs on nine hits to go with six strikeouts and just one walk. Niagara's James Avery (3-4) suffered the loss after throwing seven innings and yielding three earned runs on seven hits to go with three strikeouts and two walks.
Left fielder Thomas Ciccarone and second baseman Joe Sargent led Marist with two hits apiece, while Niagara's Dan Parsons, Mike Alati and Reed Eastley all collected two hits apiece.
Griffin (3-4) was dominating in the second game, hurling all seven innings for the Purple Eagles, striking out 12 with no walks and allowing just four hits. The only run he yielded was unearned. Marist starter Erik Supplee (4-3) took the loss despite a solid outing of six innings, six hits, two earned runs, three strikeouts and three walks.
First baseman Keith Brachold led Marist at the plate, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Niagara third baseman Andrew MacNevin went 1-for-2 with a pair of runs.
Niagara scratched out a run in the second inning of the first game when first baseman Paul Solini scored on Eastley's groundout to first. The Red Foxes would then even the affair with a run in the bottom of the fifth on a long homer to right field by designated hitter Kevin Buck. The dinger was Buck's third of the season.
MacNevin put the Purple Eagles back on top in the top of the sixth when he scored Parsons on a sacrifice fly to right to make the score 2-1.
The Red Foxes would then add two runs in the bottom of the seventh to go on top 3-2 when right fielder Thomas Ciccarone came around to score on third baseman Pat Feeney's infield single to third. Ciccarone raced around from second on the play when MacNevin's throw skipped by Solini.
However, Niagara wasn't done as it fought back to tie the game in the top of the eighth when catcher Mike Medici brought in MacNevin on an RBI single to center.
After that, Marist would give Tracz all the cushion he would need as they plated two more runs in the bottom of the eighth when Brachold launched a deep double to center, scoring shortstop Andy Kiriakedes. The hit chased Avery from the game as the righthander would yield to reliever Mike Radanovic. Radanovic got two outs before giving up an infield hit to Grauer, scoring Brachold on the play for the final margin.
Niagara center fielder Jeff Vincent put Niagara on the board first in the second game when he laced an RBI-single to left to score MacNevin. The Purple Eagles added two more in the top of the fourth when Solini plated Alati on an RBI-groundout, while MacNevin came home on catcher Bryan Towler's throw to first, which was an attempt to retire Vincent who struck out on Towler's passed ball.
Brachold knocked home center fielder Travis Musolf in the bottom of the sixth for Marist's only run with a single to left.
Marist and Niagara will play the final game of the series on Sunday at the McCann Baseball Field at noon.
