Box Score

By Chris Lewis

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 9, 2008) -- Freshman Mike Plude provided the first heroics at newly-renovated Prentiss Field, snapping an eighth inning tie against Mount St. Mary College, with a two-out opposite field single. Plude and sophomore Ari Glantz each picked up three hits and a pair of RBI in the hard fought 9-8 victory, which ended a six-game Vassar losing streak. Senior righthander Nick Bell kept the Knights off the board in the final three innings to pick up his first win on the season. Vassar improves to 5-8 on the season, while Mount St. Mary falls to 6-12.

With one out in the eighth, Glantz (Cambridge, MA) hit a single off the pitcher's mound into centerfield. Glantz soon hustled to second on a wild pitch. After a Vassar strikeout, Plude (Shelton, CT) took a pitch the other way just under the second baseman's glove to provide the game-winning offense.

In the top of the ninth, Bell (Arlington, VA) got a pair of quick groundouts to start his third inning of work. A walk and a single, however, put Knights' runners on the corners. With the game-tying and go-ahead runners on base, Bell got a lineout to third that senior Clancy Philbrick (Stonington, CT) snagged to seal the win. Bell is now 1-0 on the season.

Earlier in the game, Mount St. Mary had rallied back from an early deficit to tie the score at 8. Down 8-5 in the sixth, engineered a two-out three run rally. Second baseman Brian Visconti (Newburgh, NY) started a string of three straight extra base hits with a triple to left center, one of his five hits on the day. Mike Umphlett (North Stonington, CT) drove in Visconto with a double, and we would later score on a long triple from senior catcher Chris Schacca (Frankilin Sqaure, NY). Fellow senior Anthony Forgione (Franklin Square, NY) tied the score with a single to center to plate his teammate.

The Brewers had taken their lead with eight runs in the first four innings, including a three run second. Up 2-1 at the time, the Brewers loaded the bases with a leadoff walk, a hit batsman, and an infield single. Two more hit-by-pitches scored a pair of runs and a double play plated a third, to put the Brewers up 5-1. Joe Castilla (Weston, FL) and Tyler Bellstrom (Townshend, VT) would later add RBI singles to pad the Brewers lead.

Glantz went 3-4 with a pair of triples, two runs scored and thee runs batted in to lead the Brewers offense. Plude added a triple of his own in his 3-4 performance. Freshman shortstop Castilla (Weston, FL) had two hits and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot.

For the Knights, the top four hitter combined to go 12-18 with six of the teams eight runs. Visconti went 5-6 with Schacca contributing a game-high three RBI. Lefthander reliever Scott Francis (Pawcatuck, CT) pitched four shutout innings in the middle innings to keep Mount St. Mary in the game.

Chris Lewis is a student assistant in Vassar's Sports Information Department.