FORT MYERS, FL (March 25, 2016) – The Vassar College baseball team split with Liberty League foe St. Lawrence University Friday afternoon in the first conference action for both teams from Terry Park Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. VC won game one 5-1, before falling in the nightcap 11-3.

Game 1 – Vassar 5, St. Lawrence 1
The Brewers tallied five runs in the bottom of the fourth off of St. Lawrence starter Dan Hedden, which was all that Vassar starter Johnny Mrlik would need as VC started its league slate with a victory. The complete game outing for Mrlik was his first of the season, as he allowed just one run on six hits, striking out two while walking two.

The Saints got on the board early in the top half of the first, as Devin Robson doubled into the left field corner to score Mic Regan. That lone run was all that SLU would push across for the remainder of the game, as Vassar stormed back with five in the bottom of the fourth.
In the inning, Dakota Sagnelli walked to start the rally, followed by a two-out walk by freshman Alex Hartnett. Junior center fielder Denis Shanagher came to the plate and belted a two-run double to put the Brewers ahead for good.

With Shanagher on second base Brooks English followed with a run-scoring single, and after Eric Strickland was hit by a pitch, Cory Wuenschell singled in a pair of runs to put the Brewers up by four. In the seventh, St. Lawrence put runners on first and third with one out but Mrlik induced a fly out and a pop out to earn the win for Vassar.

The Brewers totaled just three hits on the contest, all of which scored runs. Sagnelli called a great game for Vassar behind the dish, while reaching three times on bases on balls. Senior Nick Johnson was walked three times as well, as SLU pitchers surrendered 10 free passes on the day. Saint starter Dan Hedden allowed five runs over 3.2 innings, before handing off to Matt Phelan, who finished the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Game 2 – SLU 11, Vassar 3
St. Lawrence University scored three runs in the third, sixth and seventh inning to pull away from the Brewers in earning the doubleheader split with VC. SLU also added two more in the eighth inning, as Vassar allowed 15 hits to the Saints in the nightcap.

The runs were plenty of support for St. Lawrence starter Sam Downes, who allowed three runs over 7.2 innings of work in earning the win. SLU posted three runs with two outs in the top of the third, but Vassar responded with one run of its own in the bottom half, as Shanagher drove in a run with a RBI groundout.

The Brewers trimmed the SLU lead to one in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Shanagher scored Sagnelli on a sacrifice fly, but the Saints scored eight straight over the next three innings to pull away. VC posted four hits in the ball game, as Shanagher finished 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Wuenschell was 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Sagnelli added a hit and two runs scored. Junior lefty Mike Koscielniak tossed a scoreless inning of relief for Vassar.

Mic Regan was 3-for-6 with two RBI for SLU, while Isaac Lewis added two hits and two runs scored. Robson and Michael LeFevre also added two hits apiece in the win for the Saints.

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Vassar (4-7, 1-1 Liberty) and St. Lawrence (2-7, 1-1 Liberty) will battle twice Saturday morning in the final two games of the spring break trip for VC, with first pitch of game one coming at 9 a.m. from Terry Park Stadium in Fort Myers, FL.