Box Score

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. -- Siena Baseball split its home and conference-opening doubleheader, dropping the series opener to Niagara 8-4 before bouncing back with an 8-0 blanking of the Purple Eagles in the nightcap.

Game 1: Niagara 8, Siena 4
Siena (4-14, 1-1) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead following a two-run homer by Fred Smart in the bottom of the first inning. But Niagara (5-18-1, 1-1) responded with eight unanswered runs to claim the series and conference opener.

The Purple Eagles broke through with a four-run fifth inning which was aided by three Siena errors. The Saints committed five miscues in the game.

Siena halved the deficit thanks to a two-run homerun by pinch hitter Dan Lowndes in the bottom of the eighth inning, but could get no closer.

Lefthander Cody Eckerson scattered five hits and two runs while striking out eight without a walk over six innings of work to earn the win for Niagara.

Game 2: Siena 8, Niagara 0
Timely hitting and shutdown pitching from senior southpaw Kyano Cummings powered the Saints to a doubleheader split with a convincing triumph in the nightcap.

Cummings spun his first career complete game shutout, allowing just two hits. He walked just two batters and fanned four, including the milestone 100th strikeout of his career.

Siena opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the second on RBI singles by Brett Connors and Tyler Martis. The Saints added a run in the fifth and then put the game out of reach scoring five insurance runs in the sixth. Jordan Bishop, who led Siena with three hits, delivered the big blow with a bases clearing three-run double to propel the Saints to their 15th victory in the last 17 meetings between the programs.

The teams will conclude the series on Easter Sunday, with the rubber game scheduled for 1 p.m.