Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (March 28, 2010) – The Vassar College baseball team played another set of tight games against Skidmore College on Sunday at Skidmore, but the Thoroughbreds won both ends of the Liberty League doubleheader with a 6-3 win in the opener and 4-3 walk off victory in the nightcap.

The Brewers fall to 4-7, 1-3 and next play at SUNY New Paltz on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. The Thoroughbreds improve to 10-4, 3-1.

The teams matched each other with 15 total hits apiece on Sunday. Both teams had seven hits in the first game and eight in the second. In four close games between Skidmore and Vassar this weekend, each team had a walk off win, while the Thoroughbreds' two other wins were by just three runs each.

Game One
In the first game, the Brewers tied the score 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning only to see the Thoroughbreds plate three runs in the bottom of the inning en route to a 6-3 victory.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the sixth, Vassar junior outfielder Devon Luongo sent a two-out double to left field, scoring the tying run on a single from sophomore outfielder Joe Coniglio. It was a short-lived tie, however, as the Thoroughbreds scored three runs, two earned, on one hit and one Vassar error in the bottom of the inning. Skidmore scored the winning run on a wild pitch, and outfielder Rob Rubenstein gave the Thoroughbreds a cushion with a two-RBI sacrifice groundout.

Although Skidmore scored first, with a run in the first inning, the Brewers responded with two runs in the top of the second. Coniglio hit a leadoff single, followed by another base hit from junior designated hitter Joe Castilla and sophomore second baseman Liam Lee knocked in both runners with Vassar's third consecutive single. The Thoroughbreds tacked on one run in both the fourth and fifth inning to take a brief lead before the Brewers tied the game in the sixth.

Junior starter Daniel Berkowitz (1-1) took the loss for the Brewers. Berkowitz pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits to go with three strikeouts and one walk. Sophomore reliever Race Bottini threw an inning for Vassar. The Thoroughbreds scored two unearned runs on two Vassar errors. Senior Spencer Marcus (4-0) earned the complete game win to remain undefeated for the Thoroughbreds, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, with an impressive 8:1 strikeout to walk ratio.

The Brewers got their offensive production from the bottom of the order as the No. 7 and 8 hitters Coniglio and Castilla were both 2-for-3 with a run scored. Coniglio added one RBI, while Lee had two. Skidmore shortstop Anthony Ferri was the only Thoroughbred with multiple hits, going 3-for-3 with one run.

Game Two
In the second game the Brewers held a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, but Skidmore tied the game in the inning, adding the winning walk off run in the following frame.

Heading into the eighth inning, Vassar sophomore starter John MacGregor had held Skidmore to one run on five hits. However, the Thoroughbreds put together two runs on two hits to tie the game and chase MacGregor with sophomore reliever Zachary Prudoff entering to pitch for Vassar. Though he walked the first batter he faced, loading the bases, Prudoff got an inning-ending groundout to strand three runners and send Vassar to the top of the ninth with a 3-3 tie.

The Brewers threatened in the ninth, as junior first baseman Joe Bubar reached with two outs on a wild pitch strikeout and senior outfielder Ari Glantz followed by drawing a walk. However, Skidmore reliever Drew Levinson, who entered after Bubar reached base, ended the inning with a fly ball to send the Thoroughbreds into the bottom of the inning still tied.

Skidmore responded, as a one-out single from Marty Tatkow scored the walk off run in pinch runner Leejay Pollachi, running for Zack Rudman who reached after being hit by a pitch.

Vassar took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, as Glantz was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, sophomore designated hitter Sal Costanzo walked, and Luongo moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. An RBI groundout from freshman third baseman Conor Gallagher scored Glantz, and Costanzo came home on a passed ball. The Thoroughbreds got a run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Brewers responded with one of their own off an RBI double from Glantz in the top of the seventh to take a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning.

MacGregor pitched 7. 2 innings, with two earned runs on seven hits, five strikeouts and four walks. Prudoff took the loss to fall to 0-2, pitching two-thirds of an inning and allowing one earned run on one hit, with one walk and one strikeout. The Thoroughbreds used four pitchers, with Levinson (2-0) getting the win, as he pitched one-third of an inning and recorded one walk. Starter Derek Stork pitched six innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts to two walks.

Freshman shortstop Mike Perrone led the Vassar bats, going 3-for-5 with a run, while Costanzo was 2-for-4 with a run and a double. Glantz and Gallagher had one hit and one RBI apiece. The Thoroughbreds got their eight hits from eight different players. Both teams failed to score runners, as the Brewers stranded 10 and the Thoroughbreds left 12 on base.