SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (April 1, 2016) – The Vassar College baseball team posted two six-run innings, one in each game, to secure a doubleheader sweep in Liberty League action against Skidmore College with scores of 6-4 in both contest in action from Castle Diamond.

Game 1 – Vassar 6, Skidmore 4
Vassar College erased a two-run deficit in the top of the fourth, plating six scores to take a 6-2 lead, and Brewer starter Johnny Mrlik made the lead stand up as VC chalked up the game one victory. Skidmore jumped out in front in the first inning, as Dan Dasgupta walked to lead off the frame, and came around to score on a RBI double by Josh Brown. Brown would score seconds later, stealing third, and scoring on the play as the throw from Dakota Sagnelli got away.

From that point on, Mrlik settled down and held the contest at 2-0, allowing for the big fourth run rally for the Brewers. Sophomore Eric Strickland walked with one out to get the push going, followed by a single from Cory Wuenschell, Vassar's first hit off Skidmore starter Kenny Ajello. After a fly out, Sagnelli came to the plate and singled down the left-field line to put the Brewers on the board.

After a mound visit, sophomore Matt Hernandez stepped up and hammered the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for his first collegiate homer, putting VC on top 4-2 in the process. Chris Lee kept the stretch going with a single, and Denis Shanagher plated Lee on a RBI double off the centerfield wall. After a pitching change, Shanagher finished the rally by stealing third and scoring on a wild pitch.

Skidmore scored a run in the bottom of the fourth to pull to within three at 6-3 and threatened in the bottom of the sixth, but Dusgupta lined into a double play to end the sixth. In the seventh Hayden Smith doubled in a run for the Thoroughbreds, but Mrlik was able to get Jeb Clarke to ground out to short stop to end the game.

Wuenschell finished 2-for-4 for the Brewers, while Strickland walked twice and scored once. Mrlik picked up his second complete game of the season for Vassar, scattering eight hits and four earned runs while fanning eight Thoroughbred hitters. Dasgupta was 2-for-3, and Mike LiVita had two hits in two at-bats. Ben Murphy allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings of relief.

Game 2  - Vassar 6, Skidmore 4
Vassar repeat its six-run frame in the first game with six more in the top of the sixth inning in game two, turning a three-run disadvantage into a three-run lead. The sixth inning featured seven hits for the Brewers, with the big blow coming off the bat of Nick Johnson, who doubled in a pair of runs to take a 5-3 lead.

Skidmore scored two in the first inning off of VC starter Jonathan Hong, as Shawn Klier doubled in Dasgupta and scored on a double steal later in the inning. The right-handed starter would settle in nicely though for Vassar, holding Skidmore off the board until the fifth, as he retired eight straight at one point.

In the fifth inning, Klier singled in a run to put the Thoroughbreds up 3-0, as Nick Fronte came around to cross the plate after reaching on an error. Skidmore starter Spencer Anderson worked around jams throughout the contest, twice escaping bases-loaded situations to keep Vassar scoreless. Anderson would come out for the sixth, but he would not end the frame as VC's offense came to life.

Wuenschell started the rally with a single down the left field line, and went to second on a fielding error. Sagnelli moved Wuenschell to third on a single to left field, and Hernandez put the Brewers on the scoreboard with a RBI single to left to score Sagnelli. After the single from Hernandez, Skidmore went to Peter Delalio on the mound, and immediately dealt with runners on second and third with Chris Lee at the plate.

The sophomore infielder came through for VC, sending a single to center to make the score 3-2, and Shanagher followed with another RBI single to tie the game at three. After a Brewer strikeout, Johnson stepped the plate and ripped his fourth hit of the game, a two-run double, to put VC on top for good. The senior right fielder scored on a wild pitch two batters later to plate Vassar's sixth run.

Skidmore put runners on first and second in the bottom of the sixth with one out, but VC reliever Robert Winkelmann induced a double play to get out of the jam. In the bottom of the seventh, Steven Gilbert led off the frame with a double, and scored on a wild pitch to make the score 6-4. VC went to Connor Cucalon, and he tossed a ground ball double play and a fly out to secure the sweep.

Johnson was 4-for-4 in the contest with his seventh double of the season, while Strickland was 2-for-3 and pushed his reached base safely streak to 16 games. Hernandez added two hits for VC, and Lee and Shanagher both posted an RBI and run scored. Hong (2-2) earned the win, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, striking out three. Gilbert and Klier both had two hits for Skidmore.

--

Vassar (8-8, 4-2 Liberty) and Skidmore (4-10, 1-5 Liberty) will play two more games Saturday in Poughkeepsie, NY, as VC hosts the Thoroughbreds on Prentiss Field at noon for Liberty League action.