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POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 4, 2014) -- The Vassar College baseball team clinched its second consecutive spot in the Liberty League Tournament Sunday afternoon, taking both ends of a conference doubleheader with Bard College on Senior Day. Vassar earned game one with a score of 12-2, while fending off a late comeback by the Raptors to take game two, 11-6.

Game 1: Vassar 12, Bard 2: W- Lovizio (2-5), L – Long (1-3)
The Brewers clinched the spot in the Liberty League playoffs with the game one, 12-2 win over the Raptors, thanks to St. Lawrence University knocking off Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the first game of their doubleheader.

The game for Vassar was never really in any doubt, as the Brewers scored 12 runs in the first four innings, capped by a five-run outburst in the fourth frame. VC started the game with four runs in the bottom of the first, two coming on a base hit by junior Kyle Casey (San Diego, CA/Vista).

After the Brewers tacked on one in the second, VC would take a 7-1 lead in the bottom of the third after plating a pair. Bard posted another run in the top of the fourth inning, but VC stormed back with five of its own, highlighted by a towering solo homer by senior Brett Zaziski (Randolph, NJ/Randolph). Freshman Brad Kendall (Redlands, CA/Redlands) would later single in two runs as well as VC posted all the offense it would need.

Senior pitcher Joe Lovizio (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) picked up the win on Senior Day, as the righty tossed a complete-game, scattering nine hits and two earned runs while fanning four. Kendall finished with two hits and three RBI, while sophomore catcher Cory Wuenschell (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Senior Parker Werline (Newport Beach, CA/Corona Del Mar) had two hits, scored once and drove in a run, while Zaziski finished with two hits, six total bases and two runs. Casey added two runs for the Brewers, who posted 11 hits in the contest. Bard's Zach Ward was 4-for-4 with both of the Raptor's runs.

Game 2: Vassar 11, Bard 6: W – Cucalon (1-0), L – Fisher (1-6)
Despite being outhit by the visiting Raptors 13-7, the Vassar College squad finished the season with its sixth consecutive win. Vassar College also clinched its best winning percentage in school history regardless of what happens in the Liberty League Tournament, and also clinched its best Liberty League record ever with a 13-7 conference mark.

BC (3-26-1, 0-20-1 Liberty) got on the board with a run in the top of the first, but Vassar (18-12, 13-7 Liberty) came right back with two in the bottom half as Zaziski singled in a run and Wuenschell drew a bases-loaded walk.

The third inning looked much like the first, as the Raptors plated one only to see the Brewers double their output with two to take a 4-2 lead. Vassar led 6-3 going into the top of the eighth, but Bard clawed back in to the contest, posting three runs in the frame to knot the game at six.

In the bottom half of the eighth, the Brewers had runners at 1^st and 3^rd with two outs and junior Jason Garfinkel (Encino, CA/Harvard-Westlake) up. Garfinkel drove a ball to deep center field and the Bard outfielder just missed making a lunging grab, as both base runners scored to put VC up 8-6. The hosts would tack on three more in the frame, helping to secure the win.

Casey was Vassar's only player with multiple hits in game two, as he went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Kendall and Garfinkel each plated two runs apiece, and the 4-7 spots of the batting order each scored twice.

Sophomore Jonathan Hong (Orinda, CA/Miramonte) went five innings, allowing one earned run and eight hits, and sophomore Connor Cucalon (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius) got the win, allowing no earned runs over three innings of work. 

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The Brewers (18-12/13-7 Liberty League) will now play Thursday at a time to be determined against top-seeded Union College in Schenectady, New York in the opening round. For more information, log onto www.vassarathletics.com periodically through the week for updates on seeding, game times, directions and coverage.