Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY (May 3, 2014) – The Vassar College baseball team saw its Liberty League playoff chances increase Saturday, as the Brewers knocked off host Bard College in both ends of a conference doubleheader from Dutchess Stadium.

With the 7-1 and 17-3 victories and results elsewhere, Vassar College (16-12, 11-7 Liberty League) now controls its own playoff destiny. If VC wins twice Sunday against the Raptors, the Brewers will assure themselves of a spot in the postseason Liberty League Tournament.

Game 1: Vassar 7, Bard 1: W – Erkis (7-0), L – Ward (0-7)
The Brewer offense jumped on Bard College early with five runs in the top of the first, and freshman Adam Erkis (Villanova, PA/Radnor) tossed his third consecutive complete game as the Brewers earned a 7-1 win in game one.

Freshman Brad Kendall (Redlands, CA/Redlands) started the game with a double to right center, and scored on the next at-bat thanks to a RBI single from Brooks English (Milton, MA/Milton Academy). Senior Brett Zaziski (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) doubled in English, and then was brought around by a RBI two-bagger by junior Jason Garfinkel (Encino, CA/Harvard-Westlake). The inning was capped by a two-run single by sophomore catcher Cory Wuenschell (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon).

The Brewers would add a pair of runs in the second inning as well, as sophomore Nick Johnson (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius) brought in two runs with a double down the right field line. The seven runs proved to be plenty for Erkis, as the freshman starter surrendered only two hits over seven innings in upping his record to 7-0 on the year.

Erkis needed only 70 pitches over the seven frames, allowing no earned runs while fanning three strikeouts. The freshman has now allowed just two earned runs over his last 28 innings of work, and also has not allowed an earned run over his last 19 innings. Erkis also lowered his earned run average to 1.72 on the season.

English finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Zaziski scored twice walked once. Johnson and Wuenschell each drove in two runs for Vassar, which finished with eight hits in game one.

Game 2: Vassar 17, Bard 3: W – Berg (7-1), L – McInerney (0-1)
Vassar College scored in seven of its nine at-bats in game two, and freshman Trent Berg (Milton, MA/Boston College) cruised over his seven innings on the hill as VC knocked off Bard 17-3 in the nightcap.

Bard (3-25-1, 0-18-1 Liberty) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of a pair of Vassar errors. The inning could have produced more for the Raptors, but junior Dan McCormack (Nashua, NH/Nashua) caught a low liner in right, and gunned down the tagging runner from third to hold BC to just one score. The Brewers responded in the top of the second inning with a pair of runs as Wuenschell tripled in a run, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Casey (San Diego, CA/Vista).

VC added another run in the third frame, and tacked on two more in the fourth to make the score 6-1. The Raptors plated a single run in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to pull to within three at 6-3, but Vassar put a three-spot up in the top of the seventh to up its lead back out to six.

Zaziski would connect on his fourth homer of the season in the eighth inning, which put him all alone in the Vassar College all-time homer list with eight. In the ninth, VC busted the game open with seven runs, highlighted by a two-run double by Zaziski.

Garfinkel posted his first four-hit game of the season, going 4-for-5 with four runs in game two, while Wuenschell was 3-for-4 with two walks, two runs scored and three RBI. Zaziski ended with four RBI, two runs and six total bases, and Casey was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Kendall and English each had two RBI and two runs scored, and senior Parker Werline (Newport Beach, CA/Corona Del Mar) scored three times.

Berg earned his seventh win of the year after going seven innings, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out two. Freshman Michael Koscielniak (Crystal Lake, IL/Marion Central Catholic) worked a scoreless eighth, striking out two, while Dave Robbins (Rumson, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) worked a perfect ninth.

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The Brewers conclude their regular season Sunday afternoon for Senior Day against Bard at noon on Prentiss Field.