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POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 22, 2014) – The Vassar College baseball team got two great starts from freshmen Adam Erkis (Villanova, PA/Radnor) and Trent Berg (Milton, MA/Boston College), earning a pair of crucial wins over St. Lawrence University Tuesday afternoon in Liberty League play from Prentiss Field. Vassar College earned the game one win with a score of 4-3, taking the nightcap 3-1.

Game 1: Vassar 4, St. Lawrence 3 – W: Erkis (5-0), L: Riley (4-2)
The Vassar College baseball team saw freshman Adam Erkis settle down after allowing three first-inning runs, as he coasted the rest of the way, moving his record to 5-0 on the season.

St. Lawrence plated two runs in the opening frame on an RBI triple from Marc Syron and a run-scoring single from Khifer O'Connor. Later in the inning, SLU benefitted from a Vassar error to score an unearned run to push across its third run.

The Brewers pulled to within one in the bottom of the second inning, as Nick Johnson (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius) started the rally with a walk. Junior shortstop Jason Garfinkel (Encino, CA/Harvard-Westlake) followed with a RBI triple, and was plated by a ground out by Cory Wuenschell (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon).

After the first inning, Erkis dazzled for the Brewers, as he sat down 16 of the next 17 hitters that St. Lawrence would send to the plate. This allowed VC to even the score in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Garfinkel started the inning with a walk and went to second on a single from Wuenschell.

After a wild pitch, Garfinkel scored thanks to a RBI groundout by junior Kyle Casey (San Diego, CA/Vista) to knot the game at three. In the next inning, the Brewers would chase SLU starter Joe Riley, as Brad Kendall (Redlands, CA/Redlands) tripled to start the inning. Brooks English (Milton, MA/Milton Academy) ripped a single past a drawn in infield on the next at-bat for the deciding run.

In the seventh inning, Erkis would hit the leadoff hitter, but made a nice play on a sacrifice attempt to get the lead runner at second. The starter for Vassar completed his gem with two groundouts to end the game.

The freshman right-hander tallied his third complete game of the season, as he scattered five hits, allowing two earned runs on 91 pitches. Garfinkel tripled and scored twice for the Brewers, as seven hitters each had a hit on the day.

Game 2: Vassar 3, St. Lawrence 1 – W: Berg (5-1), L: Prindle (3-2), S: Cucalon (3)
The Brewers got five effective innings out of Trent Berg, and were lifted by a huge three-run triple in the fourth inning by Kyle Casey to earn the sweep in game two. Both pitchers cruised through the first three innings, but the Saints got on the board first with a single run in the top of the fourth.

In the inning, St. Lawrence plated a run with one man down, and still had the bags full of Saints. Berg would work out of the jam, striking out Chris Fernandez and Mic Regan to defuse the rally.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Vassar got all the offense it would need. English started the frame with a single up the middle, and senior Brett Zaziski (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) followed by walking. Nick Johnson laid down a perfect bunt that went for a single, loading the bases for Vassar. SLU pitcher Kevin Prindle got a popup to short and strikeout, but Casey emptied the bags with two out on a triple over the centerfielder's head to put VC up 3-1.

St. Lawrence would threaten in the each of the next two innings, but stranded three men on in each of the fifth and sixth innings. In the seventh, sophomore Connor Cucalon (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius) nailed down his third save of the season to clinch the second win of the day.

Wuenschell finished with two hits, while Johnson had a pair of hits including a double. Berg allowed five hits and one earned run, fanning a career-high eight hitters. Freshman Mike Koscielniak (Crystal Lake, IL/Marion Central Catholic) held the lead in the sixth for VC, and Cucalon got four outs while striking out one. In the game, St. Lawrence left 11 runners on base.

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The Brewers will conclude their non-conference slate Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. on Prentiss Field when Manhattanville College comes to town for a single game.