Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 7, 2010) – Although allowing a 7-0 lead to evaporate into a one-run deficit heading into the final inning, the Vassar College baseball team persevered for a 10-9 victory over Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday at Prentiss Field.

The Brewers snapped a seven-game losing skid to improve to 5-11 and will look to better their 1-7 Liberty League record with four games at Clarkson University this weekend, with a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, followed by another twin-bill at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Blue Knights fall to 3-15 with the loss and play at SUNY New Paltz tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.

Because the game was originally scheduled to be played at Mount Saint Mary, the Brewers played as the away team, batting first.

After seeing their 7-0 lead turn into a 9-8 deficit heading into the top of the ninth and final inning, the Brewers found themselves down to three outs. Senior outfielder Ari Glantz atoned for an error in the bottom of the seventh that allowed the go-ahead run to score with a leadoff double to left center, his second double of the game. Blue Knight reliever Ben Shortslef got a flyout from the next batter, but junior designated hitter Joe Castilla tied the game with a single through the right side to score Glantz. A fielder's choice from sophomore second baseman Liam Lee erased Castilla from the base paths, bringing freshman catcher David Keith to the plate with two outs. Lee stole second, and although Keith was 0-for-4 up to that point, he laced his first career hit to right field to score Lee with what would prove to be the winning run.

Sophomore Race Bottini pitched the ninth inning, sending the Blue Knights down in order to record his first career save. Freshman Lawrence Flicker pitched the eighth inning and earned the win to improve to 2-2, allowing one earned run on two hits with one walk. Shortslef took the loss in two-thirds of an inning, allowing two earned runs on three hits with one walk to fall to 0-3.

The Brewers pounded out 18 hits on the day, paced by a 5-for-5, two RBI, four run performance from Glantz including two doubles and a triple. Sophomore outfielder Sal Costanzo was 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs and two doubles. Lee was 3-for-5 with two stolen bases while Castilla went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Although not recording a hit until the fifth inning, the Blue Knights amassed 11 hits, led by Brian McNoble who was 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs and a home run. Brian Umphlett and Mike Matuk both went 2-for-5 with one run and two RBI, while Max Tecce and Rich DeRosa added two hits apiece.

The Brewers got off to a quick start at the plate, scoring seven runs on 11 hits off Blue Knight starter Marc Soevyn to take a 7-0 lead into the fifth inning behind Vassar sophomore starter Scott Allen's four-inning no-hitter. However, the Blue Knights turned things around in a hurry, scoring five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth to chase Allen, with sophomore Dennis Tario making the final out of the inning. McNoble, DeRosa, and Matuk all had RBI singles, Umphlett added an RBI triple, and Louis Peisel reached on an error to score Matuk for the final run of the inning.

The Brewers responded with a run in the top of the sixth to take an 8-6 lead as Glantz sent an RBI double to left center to score freshman shortstop Mike Perrone who reached on a one-out single. However, Mount Saint Mary drew within one run in the bottom of the inning as McNoble hit a two-run home run to score Tecce who led off the inning with a single.

Vassar was unable to increase its lead over the next two innings, and in the bottom of the eighth the Blue Knights took their first lead of the game. McNoble drew a one-out walk from Flicker, with Mike Moosbrugger entering to pinch run. DeRosa moved Moosbrugger to second with a two-out single and an Umphlett single scored Moosbrugger to tie the game and move DeRosa to second where Wilson Rosa came in as a pinch runner. A fly ball from Matuk to left field looked to end the inning but miscommunication allowed the ball to drop and Rosa to come in with the go-ahead run as the Blue Knights took the 9-8 lead into the top of the ninth.