Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

TROY, NY (April 7, 2013) – The Vassar College baseball team's near sweep of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Sunday afternoon fell short in the nightcap, 11-10 despite picking up the early game win, 6-4.

Freshman Brooks English singled to center field in the top of the ninth of the late game and stole second, posting the game-tying run. RPI's Tim Gallagher got the second and third outs of the inning with two strikeouts, ending the Brewer threat.

The Brewers finish the series with the Engineers, 3-1 in favor of RPI. The split gives Vassar a record of 8-9 and 4-6 in League action. The Brewers will next host The College at Old Westbury on Wednesday, April 10 at 4:00 pm in a solo game contest. RPI improves to 12-7 overall and breaks even in League play, 5-5. They will next host Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, April 9.

The Brewers got out to a quick 3-0 lead at the end of two innings during the first game of the double header today. English had a collegiate career day, going 2-for-2 in game one and 2-for-5 in the later game. He totaled four RBI and two runs.

Senior short stop Mike Perrone was the first to score today, advancing home on a passed ball by RPI catcher, Eric Kozak. English advanced to second on that play and then scored off a fielder error by short stop Jonny Rio. Rio's error occurred when he couldn't recover freshman Nick Johnson's grounder.

English got Vassar another run when he singled to center and brought Perrone home in the top of the second. He also started the fourth inning in the same manner when he got an RBI single and brought Perrone home for a Vassar, 4-1 lead. Johnson hit a single to center field, bringing English in for the 5-1 lead in the fourth.

RPI responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Shane Matthews scored off a wild pitch from Brewer senior Joe Lovizio. Kozak doubled to right center, bringing in Nick Annunziata for the second run of the inning.

Lovizio went the seven-inning distance, striking out the most batters in a single game all season with nine. He gave up five hits and three of the four runs were earned. Lovizio now has a record of 2-1 and an ERA of 3.15. He also remains the leader in season strikeouts with 20.

Jared Jensen picked up the loss for RPI in game one. He gave up six hits and four of the five runs were earend.

Perrone also had a season high for most runs scored in a single game with four during the early game. He was 3-for-3 in game one and 2-for-6 in the nightcap. He also added another three runs in the second game. He leads the team in runs this season with 16. Both Perrone and English had two RBI in the second game.

RPI got out to the early start in game two when both Rio and Chuck Erickson hit home runs. Rio's homer to left field also brought in Annunziata while Erickson's was an empty-base home run to right center.

Vassar swung the momentum in their favor in the second and third innings with five, unanswered runs. Annunziata hit a home run to left field in the bottom of the third, bringing RPI back within one run, 5-4.
After Vassar built a comfortable, 8-4 lead in the top of the fifth, RPI went on a scoring frenzy in the bottom of the sixth.

Freshman Cameron Hood gave up a double to center field, hit a batter and gave up a single to left field, loading the bases. He then let a pitch get away from him, hitting RPI's Andrew Kalish and bringing in one run before freshman Connor Cucalon relieved him on the mound for Vassar.

With three singles in a row and a double that followed, RPI was back on top, 10-8. The Brewers however fought back with two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game up at 10.

RPI got the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh when Annuziata singled to center field and brought home Jensen.

Senior pitcher Zander Mrlik went five innings in the nightcap and retired four RPI batters while Cucalon went three innings and was credited with his first loss of the year (2-1).

Gallagher picked up the win for RPI, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out two Brewer batters.