Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

TROY, NY (March 31, 2009) – The Vassar College baseball team nearly pulled off an upset over Liberty League-leading Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Tuesday evening, forcing the Red Hawks to 11 innings in the first game of a doubleheader at Robison Field. However, RPI came up with a one-out walk-off base hit to escape with a 7-6 win. In the second game, the Brewers dropped a 10-4 decision as powerhouse RPI remained undefeated in the Liberty League.

The Brewers fall to 2-12, 1-6 in the Liberty League. Vassar will look to snap an eight-game losing skid with a home doubleheader against Albertus Magnus College on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at Prentiss Field. The SUNY New-Paltz game, originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, has been cancelled. The Red Hawks, who are in the midst of a 13-game winning streak, improve to 14-4, 8-0 in the league.

Game One
Early on it looked as though RPI might cruise, after three of the first four batters knocked base hits off starter John MacGregor (Montclair, NJ/Montclair Kimberley). However, the freshman right-hander settled down and contained the dangerous Red Hawk offense, allowing just three runs in the first four innings.

The Brewer bats gave MacGregor some support in the fifth inning with two runs, and though the Red Haws responded with two of their own in the bottom of the inning, Vassar showed no fear of the red-hot Red Hawks, charging back with four runs in the top of the sixth to take a one-run lead.

The Brewers knocked out five hits in the inning, as sophomore catcher David Ringold (Seattle, WA/Ballard) led off the inning with a base hit to centerfield and moved to third on double off the bat of freshman designated hitter Liam Lee (East Hampton, NY/East Hampton), his first collegiate extra-base hit. Senior leftfielder Zack Miller (San Francisco, CA/Lick-Wilmerding) scored Ringold and moved Lee to third with a single. An RBI single from freshman centerfielder Joseph Coniglio (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) scored Lee and Miller plated the tying run off an RBI single from junior shortstop Ari Glantz (Cambridge, MA/Cambridge, Rindge & Latin). Freshman third baseman Sal Costanzo (Cooper City, FL/Archbishop McCarthy) gave the Brewers a lead with a sacrifice fly, and the Brewers finished the inning with that slight 6-5 advantage.

However, RPI scored an unearned run in the seventh inning, knotting the game at 6-6 in what was originally scheduled as a seven-inning game. Freshman pitcher Zachary Prudoff (St. Croix, VI/St. Croix Country Day) relieved MacGregor in the eighth and pitched three strong innings, with 1-2-3 outings in the eighth and tenth innings. However, the Red Hawks spoiled the upset bid in the bottom of the eleventh, as Noah Poissant recorded the game-winning RBI single to score Pat Reardon who reached on a one-out walk.

The Brewers put together 16 hits in the loss, led by Lee's 4-for-5 effort. Glantz was 3-for-5 with two RBIs while Coniglio added two hits and one RBI. Prudoff (1-1) took the loss, pitching three and a third innings, while allowing three hits and just one earned run. In his fourth start of the season, MacGregor pitched seven innings, scattering 12 hits while allowing five earned runs.

Game Two
Seven runs over the first two innings spotted the Red Hawks a quick 7-1 advantage and although Vassar managed to chop the lead to three runs in the fifth inning, the Brewers could get no closer as RPI picked up a 10-4 win. RPI first baseman Andrew Krushelnyski proved a handful for the Brewers, as the junior smacked out two doubles in a 4-for-4, four RBI effort to lead the Red Hawk bats.

The top of the order produced for the Brewers, as the first three batters – Coniglio, sophomore first baseman Joe Bubar (Washington, DC/Georgetown Day) and Glantz – all went 2-for-3 and Miller added two hits as well. Senior starter Tyler Bellstrom (Townshend, VT/Leland & Gray Union) fell to 0-4 as he took the loss for the Brewers.