POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 14, 2017) – The Vassar College baseball team picked up their first Liberty League wins of the season on Friday afternoon, as the Brewers knocked off conference-leading Union College twice in action from Prentiss Field. VC took the opener 4-3, and followed that with a 6-2 win over the Dutchmen in game two.

GAME 1: Vassar 4, Union 3
The Brewers got huge run-scoring hits from both sophomore Taylor Smach and freshman Daniel Bonfiglio in game one, and senior Adam Erkis went the distance as Vassar picked up its first conference victory of the 2017 campaign. Vassar chalked up just five hits in the game, but they were at big spots, scoring two times in the second and sixth innings for the winning margin.

It appeared that Union scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly, but Vassar appealed that the Union runner left third early and was rewarded as Matt Catalfo was called out. The Dutchmen would score first though, as Sean Cullen doubled to lead off the frame and scored on a run-scoring fly ball. Vassar would come right back though, as freshman Matt Martino walked with one out in the second, and Bonfiglio singled to put runners at first and second.

On the very next pitch, Smach came up and ripped a double to left-center field to plate both freshmen ahead of him to make the score 2-1. Union would regain its lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs on three hits to make the score 3-2, as Andy Labeck singled to score two runs.

In the sixth inning, the Brewers would fight back, scoring two runs as the rally started after a fly out and strikeout. Freshman Evan Trausch singled up the middle, followed by a single from Martino. Following an error by Jake Vesling to push the runners to second and third, Bonfiglio ripped a single down the left field line to score both Trausch and Martino to make the score 4-3 in favor of VC.

In the top of the seventh, Erkis got the Dutchmen 1-2-3 to pick up the complete game victory. The senior right-hander scattered eight hits and three earned runs, tossing 106 pitches, and moved into third all-time in wins at VC with 12 for his tenure. Bonfiglio was 2-for-3 with two RBI as well for Vassar, which left just two runners on base in game one. Vesling also tossed a complete game for Union, allowing three earned runs on five hits.

GAME 2: Vassar 6, Union 2
The Brewers posted four runs in the bottom of the fifth, including three on one swing from Trausch, and sophomore Bryan Rubin cruised through the final three innings to help Vassar secure the sweep. Union struck first in the top of the first, scoring twice off of Vassar starter Jake Silver on a RBI triple from Vesling and a RBI single from Kent Curran.

The Brewers (8-12, 2-5 Liberty League) trimmed their deficit in half with a sacrifice fly from Trausch, as junior Matt Hernandez came across home after walking to lead off the frame. The biggest moment of the game though may have come in the top of the fourth, as Union loaded the bases with one out, forcing head coach Matthew Righter to make a pitching change.

After the pitching change, junior John Madsen came on and got a strikeout and fly out to escape the jam. An inning later, the Brewers would bust out with four runs to take a 5-2 lead, highlighted by a three-run double from Trausch, who launched a 1-1 pitch to the left-center gap. An inning later, Vassar added another run thanks to an error by Union to push the lead to four runs for VC.

From that point, Rubin would shut the door on Union, allowing just two runners over his three innings to nail down the win. Hernandez finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored for Vassar in game two, and Bobby Kinne reached twice, scoring a run and driving in one as well. Freshman Connor Levchuck was 1-for-3 as well, while Martino, Denis Shanagher and Smach all each had hits as well.

Silver went 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, and Rubin allowed one hit and one walk over three innings to move to 2-1 on the year.

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These two teams will turn around and play again on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Schenectady, NY, as Union hosts the Brewers for two more Liberty League games at Shuttleworth Park.