Plourde was a home run short of the cycle, collecting a two singles, a double, and a triple and was also hit by pitch. He knocked in two runs and scored twice. Senior Chris Horning went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored while classmate Carmine DeVito drove in three runs.

Gussaroff (2-4) picked up the victory in a seven-inning outing in which scattered one run on six hits and a walk while striking out 10 Purple Eagles. After allowing a one-out double in the top of the first, Gussaroff retired 14 of the next 16 batters he faced and shutout Niagara through the first five innings of play.

The Stags (11-15; 4-5 MAAC) got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, pushing two runs across the plate. Horning got the effort started with a leadoff double and came around to score on a double by Plourde. Junior Larry Cornelia gave Fairfield a 2-0 lead with a single to centerfield that scored Plourde.

Horning got another rally started in the bottom of the fifth inning, roping a two-out double down the left field line and scoring on a single by Tyler Wosleger. Plourde then tripled to right center to give Fairfield a 4-0 lead.

Niagara (4-27; 1-8) mounted a comeback in the top of the sixth inning. With two on and one out, John Wilson singled to left field to score leadoff man Cam Stykemain and pull Niagara within 4-1. Gussaroff retired the next batter and got an assist from Plourde in the outfield, as Plourde reached over the right field fence to take a home run away from Joel Klock.

The Stags scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and broke it open in the bottom of the seventh, with a five-run frame, which included a grand slam single by DeVito. Senior Tucker Nathans drove in the Stags' final run of the day in the bottom of the eighth with a single.

Junior Brett Shulick threw a perfect eighth inning of relief while junior Mark Skrapits closed out the game with a scoreless ninth. Skrapits also drove in a run and scored twice for the Stags. Kody Kasper (0-6) took the loss for Niagara, allowing four runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings.

Nathans finished the day 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored for Fairfield. With his triple, he became tied for third all-time on Fairfield's career list and needs just one to tie the program record of 10 held by both Bill Wilson and Bob Ciccone. Nathans also surpassed Mike Pike for second all-time at Fairfield in career runs batted in and now has 139 RBI to his credit.

The three-game sweep of Niagara was Fairfield's first sweep of a conference opponent since 2009 when the Stags took three from Siena College.

Fairfield returns to action on April 13 when Yale University visits Alumni Diamond at 3:30pm. The Stags will then host defending NEC Champion Central Connecticut State University, April 15-16, before traveling to New Britain to take on the Blue Devils on April 17.