POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK – No. 3 Siena Softball fell to No. 5 Niagara Thursday evening to end its 2019 season in the second round of the MAAC Tournament. The Saints took a 4-1 loss to the Purple Eagles in the loser's bracket elimination game at Garland Athletic Field in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Looking to shake off an 11-1 loss in five innings to No. 3 Monmouth earlier in the day, the Siena (22-25, 13-7) began its time at the plate by taking an early lead in the bottom of the first. Junior Lauren Sabihon roped a double down the left field line to allow senior Madysen Cossack to come in from second, two batters after the 2019 MAAC Player of the Year tied the program single season record for walks with her 31st of the year.  

Advancing to the semifinal round from the loser's bracket after winning a pair of elimination contests on the day, the Purple Eagles bounced back with a crooked number in the top of the second inning to take a lead they would never relinquish. After the game was knotted up with a solo home run to center field, a throwing error and a delayed double steal gave Niagara a 3-1 advantage. Situational hitting came into play in the top of the fourth for the designated visitors, with a pop out in foul territory turning into an insurance run coming home in the form of a sacrifice fly.

Niagara had one more run left in them in the visiting half of the sixth, scoring on an RBI groundout .Following a pair of strikeouts in five innings from 2019 Second Team All-MAAC pitcher Maddie McMahon (13-8) junior Brooke Hughes closed out her most successful season thus far by pitching the final two innings of the contest.

Following the loss, Siena closes out it's 2019 campaign with its most wins in a season since 2016, including its eighth double digit win total in MAAC play in the last nine seasons. The Saints' 1-0 victory over No. 6 Fairfield in the opening round of the 2019 MAAC Championship stands as the squad's first ever day one postseason with, as well as their first postseason win as a whole since 2015. Finishing top-three in the conference for the third straight season, Siena will look to qualify for the MAAC Championship in for consecutive years for the first time ever in 2020.