LOUDONVILLE, NY – Niagara softball completed a midweek sweep over Siena Wednesday afternoon in a back-and-forth affair at Siena Softball Field. The Purple Eagles (22-17, 12-5) outlasted the Saints (22-19, 7-10) in a 9-8 decision in the team's second straight day of competition.

After Niagara took 1-0 and 3-1 defensive wins to begin the week on Tuesday, the Visitors again struck first on the board with an RBI double in the top of the first. With both teams' pitching aces back at it, Siena briefly led following a crooked bottom of the third thanks to a 2 RBI single from fifth year Jocelyn Ulrich to send in freshman Chloe Cummings and senior Isabella Pardo.

The Purple Eagles fired back to begin three straight multi-run frames in the fourth, with a three-run home run from Hailey Cenname giving them a 4-2 lead. The visitors pushed the lead to 7-2 with an RBI double and an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but the Saints came all the way back to tie the game at seven thanks to a five-run frame in the home half of the inning.

Sophomore Emma Petersen doubled to right center to score Cummings and Pardo, while redshirt-senior Diana Parker scored Petersen on an RBI single, and freshman Carlie Venables sent in Parker and senior Mikala Fletcher on a 2 RBI single.

Niagara once again used a long ball to pull ahead, with Samantha Hare launching a two-run home run to center field in the sixth. Siena countered with an RBI single from Ulrich in the bottom of the inning, but stranded two runners on-base in both the sixth and the seventh.

The Saints dropped their sixth straight contest despite holding a 12-10 hits advantage, with Pardo, Ulrich, Petersen, and Venables all recording multi-hit games. Redshirt-sophomore Alissa Eimont (13-8) started the game and then came back in for the Green and Gold, striking out five batters in a combined five and one-third innings in the circle. Graduate student Nicole Patille struck out a batter in one inning, while freshman Hailey Francois did the same in two-thirds of a frame.

Siena will look to get out of its rut by continuing an eight-game home stand on Thursday, April 25. The Saints will welcome in-state foe Le Moyne to Siena Softball Field for the first time since 1986 with doubleheader action beginning at 2 PM.