Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 11, 2011) -- The Vassar College baseball team compiled 25 hits in two games, and split its home doubleheader with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Saturday afternoon at Prentiss Field. Vassar dropped game one 5-4 after a four-run sixth inning from RPI, but won game two 7-5 to earn the split. Junior Sal Costanzo went 5-for-7 with two runs and four RBI in the two games combined.

Vassar is now 10-8, 5-5 in the Liberty League, while first-place RPI moves to 11-8 (4-2). The two teams will play another doubleheader tomorrow at RPI, with game one scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.

In game one, Vassar came back to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and had the tying run on third base, but failed to complete the comeback, as RPI held on for the 5-4 win.

Brewers starter Scott Allen pitched masterfully for five innings, allowing just one hit and one run. The Engineers finally got to Allen in the sixth inning, plating four runs on four hits, including a two-run double to left by Art Levenson and a two-run double to center Billy Nikolski, to make it 5-1.

Vassar poured on the offense in the bottom of the seventh inning as RPI starter Mike Cieszko tried to close out the game. Freshman second baseman Dave Robbins and sophomore shortstop Mike Perrone started off the rally with back-to-back singles, and junior centerfielder Liam Lee knocked an RBI single down the left field line to score Robbins. After a wild pitch moved up each runner, Costanzo singled up the middle to score two more and cut the RPI lead to 5-4. Costanzo got all the way to third base on a passed ball and a fielders' choice, but Cieszko got the three straight outs he needed for the win.

Cieszko (4-1) earned the complete game seven-inning victory, giving up 12 hits and four earned runs with seven strikeouts. The Brewers had four hits in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth, but scored just one run in those two frames. Vassar left eight men on base including five in those two innings alone, while RPI left just three on all game.

Allen (1-1) got the loss, tossing seven innings and allowing six hits and five runs, four earned.

The Brewers out-hit RPI 12 to 6 and were led by Costanzo, who went 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Perrone and Lee had two hits and one run apiece out of the first and second spots in the order.

In game two, Vassar and RPI combined to score 11 runs in the first three innings, with Vassar up 6-5, before the Brewers' staff settled down to hold the Engineers scoreless for seven frames in a row.

Freshman Joe Lovizio got the start for the Brewers, and gave up three runs on five hits and one error in the first inning. He gave up two more runs on three hits in the second, but the Vassar bats kept pace with the RPI offense.

The Brewers got an RBI groundout from Costanzo in the bottom of the first, and an RBI single from Robbins in the bottom of the second, to cut the RPI lead to 5-2. After Lovizio pitched a scoreless third inning, Vassar plated four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-5 lead. The scoring was capped by a two-run double to right by senior first baseman Joe Bubar.

Armed with a 6-5 lead after three innings, Lovizio kept RPI off the board and gave up just two hits over the next four. He earned the win (2-2) by tossing seven innings and allowing ten hits and five runs. Sophomore Zander Mrlik relieved Lovizio to start the eighth inning and pitched a perfect eighth and a one-hit ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Costanzo continued his hot hitting by stroking an RBI double off the left field wall to give Vassar an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning. He went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI in game two, giving him five hits and four RBI on the day. Freshman Brett Zaziski added three hits, and Robbins and sophomore left fielder Sean Morash had two apiece.

RPI starter Mike Campisi got the loss (2-2) after allowing nine hits and six runs (five earned) in 3.1 innings pitched. Alex Sardo pitched 4.2 strong innings of relief for the Engineers, giving up just four hits and one run.

Left fielder Kyle LeVigne led the RPI offense with three hits, one run and one RBI out of the leadoff spot. Centerfielder Billy Nikolski added two hits.