Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 18, 2015) – The Vassar College baseball team dropped a pair of Liberty League contests to visiting University of Rochester Saturday afternoon, as the Yellowjackets upped their win streak to 16 games with 6-0 and 4-3 victories Saturday afternoon from Prentiss Field.

Rochester 6, Vassar 0
Vassar College struggled to put together anything with less than two outs, and the visiting Yellowjackets scored all six runs from the second through fourth innings in earning their 20^th win of the season with a 6-0 triumph.

Vassar posted hits in each of its first six innings, but in the first five frames the Brewers didn't get a base hit in those innings until two outs had already be recorded. Rochester took advantage, getting on the board first with three runs in the top of the second inning, highlighted by an RBI double by Sam Slutsky.

The Brewers would put two runners on in the bottom of the second inning, as Dan McCormack (Nashua, NH/Nashua) singled and Jason Garfinkel (Encino, CA/Harvard-Westlake) walked. Rochester starter Evan Janifer was able to work out of the pickle though, keeping the Brewers off the board. UR added to its lead in the third, as Josh Ludwig singled in Brendon Garry.

The visiting Yellowjackets plated two more in the top half of the fourth, as Nolan Schultz recorded a RBI sacrifice fly and Lance Hamilton singled in a run. That was more than enough for Janifer, who went the distance to earn the complete game shutout, scattering eight hits. Rochester broke its single-season win streak with the victory.

Junior Nick Johnson (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius Prep) had three singles for the Brewers, while freshman Bobby Kinne (Great Barrington, MA/Monument Mountain Regional) was 2-for-4 as well. McCormack finished with two hits in three at-bats for VC, while Brewer starter Jonathan Hong (Orinda, CA/Miramonte) went the distance, allowing five earned runs, striking out five hitters as well.

Rochester 4, Vassar 3
A three-run second inning for the Yellowjackets proved to be the difference in game two Saturday, as Rochester earned the sweep with a 4-3 victory over the Brewers.

The Yellowjackets (21-7, 13-1 Liberty) scored the first run of the game in the top of the first, as Slutsky singled to start the game and scampered home on a wild pitch two batters later. Rochester scored their decisive three runs in the second inning, as Garry led off the inning with a homer to right field. Later in the inning, Steve Eychner singled in a pair of runs to put the Yellowjackets up 4-0.

From that point, Vassar College starter Johnny Mrlik (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius Prep) settled in, as he went eight innings, allowing no runs over his final six frames. The Vassar College bats would attempt a comeback, getting on the board in the bottom of the third. Garfinkel singled to right field, following a walk by sophomore Brad Kendall (Redlands, CA/Redlands). With two outs, Denis Shanagher (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius Prep) drove a 3-2 pitch to center field to score Garfinkel and pull Vassar to within three at 4-1.

The Brewers again trimmed their deficit in the fourth inning, as Kyle Casey (San Diego, CA/Vista) delivered a two-out RBI single to plate Bobby Kinne, who reached on a double off the right field wall.

VC pulled to within one at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, as Johnson doubled in Brooks English (Milton, MA/Milton Academy) with two outs. Vassar had runners at second and third, but couldn't pull even as Rochester starter Dan Warren got out of the inning on a foul out.

From that point, the pitching took over, as both teams held their opposition scoreless. In the ninth inning, Vassar got a pinch hit by freshman Matt Hernandez (Corona, CA/Eleanor Roosevelt) but he was left stranded as Luke Meyerson earned his second save of the season for UR.

Johnson finished with two hits for the Brewers, and Mrlik went eight innings, allowing four earned runs and 10 hits while fanning seven hitters. Shanagher pitched a scoreless inning in relief for Vassar, and Casey was solid at second base, making all nine plays that came his way.

Warren earned the win for Rochester, going seven innings and surrendering two earned runs on nine hits. Meyerson worked the final two frames for the Yellowjackets, allowing just one hit, and Garry and Slutsky each had multi-hit games for UR.

--

The two teams will turn around and play again tomorrow afternoon on Prentiss Field for another Liberty League doubleheader, starting at noon.