Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

CANTON, NY (April 11, 2009) – Thanks to strong pitching from senior starter Tyler Bellstrom, a clutch appearance from freshman reliever Zachary Prudoff, and a monster game at the plate from sophomore outfielder Devon Luongo, the Vassar College baseball team avoided a four-game sweep with a split in a doubleheader against St. Lawrence University at Tom Fay Field on Saturday. The Brewers dropped the first game, 8-5, but rebounded with a tense 5-4 win in the nightcap.

The Brewers are now 4-15, 2-10 in the Liberty League. They return to action as they host a single nine-inning game against SUNY New Paltz on Monday at 4:00 p.m. The Saints are 10-14, 6-10 in the league.

Game One
The first five innings of game one saw a pitcher's duel between Vassar starter freshman John MacGregor and St. Lawrence starter Chris Cook. MacGregor held the Saints to one run on two hits over the first five, while Cook contained the Brewers to one run on three hits. However, the Saints solved MacGregor in the top of the sixth, plating six runs on five hits. The Brewers responded in the bottom of the inning with two runs, one off a home run from sophomore catcher David Ringold and the other off a run scoring single from junior outfielder Adam Murphy, but Cook managed to end the inning leaving two runners stranded and escaping further damage.

After St. Lawrence added a run in the top of the seventh to take an 8-3 lead, the Brewers again responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs and chasing Cook after Murphy drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs. With the winning run on base, reliever Kyle Donaldson earned the save, inducing a ground-out to end the game with the bases loaded. For the third straight game, stranded runners were problematic for Vassar, as the Brewers left 11 men on base.

Murphy was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and freshman third baseman Sal Costanzo was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Game Two
The Brewers showed their mettle in the second game, responding every time the Saints scored. When St. Lawrence scored a run in the top of the second, the Brewers responded with one in the bottom of the inning; when the Saints took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, Vassar answered by taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning; when St. Lawrence tied the game 3-3 in the top of the seventh, the Brewers regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the inning. And in the ninth, when the Saints scored, drawing within one run, the Brewers did not need to respond as Prudoff ended the game with a clutch bases-loaded strikeout.

Prudoff earned his first career save, while senior Bellstrom had a strong outing to improve to 2-4 on the season. In eight innings, Bellstrom allowed just seven hits and two earned runs, with four strikeouts and four walks.

Offensively, sophomore Luongo led the Brewers to the victory, going 3-for-4 and driving in four out of five of Vassar's runs. Luongo homered in the second to tie the game 1-1, and then had a two-run single in the third to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead. Fittingly, it was his RBI single in the seventh that provided the winning run. Junior shortstop Ari Glantz was 3-for-4 with a run, and sophomore second baseman Joe Castilla had two hits, with two runs and an RBI.