CLAREMONT, CA (March 13, 2018) – Senior Bobby Kinne delivered a clutch grand slam in the top of the sixth inning, and Vassar's bullpen made the lead stand up as the Brewer baseball team earned its first win of the 2018 season with an 8-6 road victory over Pomona-Pitzer in play from Alumni Field.
 
Head coach Matt Righter was right in his prediction from Monday evening, as he expected the Brewers to get the big hit when it mattered after falling by one run the first two games of the season. Vassar came through in multiple clutch positions both at the plate and on the mound Tuesday, as VC was 6-for-13 with four two-out RBI and held PP to just three hits in 12 at-bats in the same situation, along with just one RBI with two away.
 
The Brewers (1-2) jumped out in front in the top of the third inning, as sophomore Evan Trausch singled in a pair of runs with two outs as VC took advantage of two errors by the Sagehens in the frame.
 
Pomona-Pitzer (13-5) answered back with a tally in the bottom of the third, as Nolan McCafferty doubled with one out and then was brought around by a Jack Hanley double later in the inning. The Brewers got that run back though in the fifth, extending their lead back out to two runs on a Trausch RBI single to left center.
 
The host Sagehens offense came alive in the fifth inning, as PP chalked up five runs on four hits, also getting the benefit of three walks in the frame by Vassar to take a 6-3 lead. The Brewers responded immediately, chalking up four runs in the top of the sixth on one swing as Kinne belted his third career homer over the right-field wall to put VC ahead 7-6.

"Guys ahead of me got on," said Kinne. "Tanner had a good walk before that...I saw a fastball 3-1, timed it up and he put it there for me. It was just lucky enough to travel far enough to go over the fence. It was a nice short porch in right." 
 
Vassar added another run in the top of the seventh inning, as sophomore Daniel Bonfiglio was walked to lead off the frame followed by a hit by pitch to put senior Matt Hernandez on base. Later in the inning with two outs, senior Eric Strickland pinch-hit and came through with a RBI single to center field to plate Hernandez from second.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Pomona-Pitzer pushed the tying run to the plate with two outs, but freshman reliever Hawkins Hodges came on and fanned Sagehen leading hitter Jeremiah Quezada to get out of the jam. In the ninth, junior Bryan Rubin came on and worked around a walk to earn his first save of the season with a strikeout to end the game. "It was great, we've been playing pretty well the last couple of days against some good competition in California...we fought all day and that was huge getting our first W," said Rubin. 
 
Kinne finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Trausch was 2-for-5 with three driven in. Freshman Jason Salerno collected his first collegiate hit for the Brewers, and fellow newcomer Tanner Blough was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Vassar posted a season-high 10 hits, but was benefited from four errors which resulted in six unearned runs. Bonfiglio had VC's only other extra-base hit on the day, doubling as well for VC. 
 
Freshman Matt McGannon allowed four earned runs in his first collegiate start, scattering six hits to earn a no decision. Junior Joe Conti was sparkling out of the 'pen for the Brewers, as he went 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing four hits and one walk. Rubin struck out two in the ninth as well for VC, which was dazzling in the field taking away numerous hits while committing no miscues.
 
McCafferty led Pomona-Pitzer with three hits and two RBI, while Brian Knapp added two hits in five at-bats as well for the hosts. Brent Super took the loss for the Sagehens, allowing four unearned runs and one hit over 0.1 innings on the hill.

"This was a really big win for our program against one of the hottest teams in the country," said Righter. "Our guys have been playing very good baseball though and deserved the victory. Bobby Kinne came up clutch w a big hit but a lot of other guys did too. Our pitching also continued to shine. Matt McGannon and Joe Conti pounded the strike zone before giving way to freshman Hawkins Hodges who got a huge strikeout in his freshman debut. This is going to be a fun season with a really good group of guys. Based off of how we are playing the sky is the limit."
 
Vassar will have a few days off before taking on California Institute of Technology (3-11) in Pasadena, CA Friday morning at 11 a.m. PDT for another non-conference battle out in the Golden State.