LAKELAND, FL (March 10, 2012) – Despite coming back from a 4-1 deficit with four runs in the seventh inning, the Vassar College baseball team fell 6-5 to Cazenovia College in 10 innings in the team's season opener at Kathleen High School in Lakeland, Florida.

The Brewers (0-1) will look to rebound tomorrow, facing Drew University at 4:00 p.m. at Lake Myrtle Park. Vassar will play five more games in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

Trailing 4-1 left fielder Parker Werline hit a single between third and short to start the Vassar rally. Right fielder Sean Morash followed up with a dribbler down the first baseline that resulted in a throwing error by Cazenovia second basemen Adam Wiley, putting runners at first and third. An RBI single by Kyle Casey cut the margin to 4-2, before a Mike Perrone sacrifice bunt forced another error by the Wildcats, scoring one run and putting runners at second and third. Facing a one-run deficit, senior catcher Sal Costanzo delivered a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and after first baseman Brett Zaziski was intentionally walked, sophomore second baseman Dave Robbins gave Vassar a 5-4 lead with a single to centerfield.

Cazenovia tied the game at 5 in the top of the eighth stringing together three singles, the first two off senior reliever Race Bottini, the final with two outs off Zachary Prudoff.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Brewers were able to put a man on second with one out, after Werline led off with a walk, and was sacrificed to second by Casey, but the team was unable to capitalize.

Vassar thought they had the game won in the ninth inning, when senior center fielder Liam Lee led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Costanzo attempted to bunt the runner over to third, dropping one down the first baseline. When Cazenovia reliever Joe Rogers' throw to first ricocheted off Costanzo's helmet, into right field, Lee strode across the plate for what would have been the winning run. However, the umpires ruled that the ball struck Costanzo in fair territory, resulting in runner's interference, sending Lee back to second and ruling Costanzo, who injured his ankle on the play, out. The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs in the inning, but were unable to knock in the decisive run.

The Wildcats took the lead in the tenth capitalizing on a throwing error by shortstop Mike Perrone to score an unearned run. In the bottom of the tenth, Rogers struck out the side in his fourth inning of work to seal the Wildcats' victory.

Cazenovia jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, capitalizing on a Vassar error to plate an unearned run off starter Scott Allen. The Brewers responded in the bottom of the inning when Costanzo delivered a two-out seeing-eye-single through the hole at short, followed by Zaziski roping a double to center.

Cazenovia scored three runs in the fifth, all with two outs. With a man on second, Erich Lange singled to center, and then advanced to second on the throw home. Anthony DeSarro doubled to right center to score the Wildcats third run, then after advancing to third on a wild pitch, scored on a throwing error by Perrone.

Lawrence Flicker (0-1) took the loss for the Brewers, while Allen started the game, allowing four runs, two earned, over six innings of work.