DAVENPORT, FL - The Vassar College Baseball team returned to action at the RussMatt Invitational on Sunday as they fell 9-4 to Thomas (ME) in the first game followed by a 10-7 defeat to Illinois Tech in the nightcap. The Brewers fall to 4-5 overall on the season after the day.

THOM 9 - VC 4
The Terriers got on the board first in the bottom of the first frame as Elijah Morton led off with a single through the left side and then scored on a RBI walk by Aaron Young. Thomas added two runs on a RBI fielder's choice ground out to take a 3-0 lead after one.

The Brewers cut the lead in half in the third as a single from senior Andrew Kanellis singled home sophomore Daniel Laderman, who drew a leadoff walk, and then later scored on a double play turned by the Terriers.

Senior Adam Talwalkar doubled with two outs in the fifth and was knocked in on a double from junior Reid Lapekas. Senior Ezra Caspi tied the game up at four apiece when he singled through the middle to score Lapekas with two outs in the fifth.

The Terriers regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Austin Stebbins and Morton drew back-to-back walks to start the inning and they both scored on a fielder's choice and a VC throwing error to go ahead 6-4.

Matt Seymour's bases-clearing triple with two outs in the eighth tacked on insurance runs to clinch the 9-4 victory for the Terriers.

Senior Ryan Harris started on the mound for Vassar as he threw six innings, allowing two hits, four runs (two earned), five walks and struck out four. Sophomore Jack Blau took the loss as he allowed two runs (one earned) and walked two. Senior Frankie Murphy went two innings in relief and gave up four hits, three runs, and struck out one.

Jarrad Willette took a no-decision in his start as he went three innings, allowing one hit, two runs, five walks and struck out one. Daniel May pitched two innings in relief and allowed four runs while Wyatt Thompson earned the win with four scorless innings of relief for the Terriers.

Kanellis, Talwalkar and Lapekas each finished with two hits for Vassar while Morton and Seymour tallied two hits apiece for Thomas and Seymour drove in four runs.

IIT 10 - VC 7
Vassar scored first in the nightcap as freshman Jensen Bergman was driven in on a RBI triple from Kanellis to take a 1-0 lead before the Scarlet Hawks answered in the top half of the second with a bases clearing double from Joshua Minami to go ahead 3-1.

Illinois Tech expanded its lead to 6-1 following a Samuel Sproule RBI single followed by a two-out two RBI single from Michael Paxson in the third inning. 

Vassar exploded for a six run bottom half of the third as Kanellis drew a bases loaded walk, junior Ty Murray blasted a double with the bases loaded to score three and senior Christian Baaki drove in two on a double to take a 7-6 lead.

The Scarlet Hawks took the lead back in the sixth as Connor Blake's sacrifice fly scored Matthew Bove to tie it at seven before Brandon Bennitt's RBI triple with two outs put them ahead by one.

Illinois Tech tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth when Sproule doubled home Bennitt and Timmy Old to push its lead to 10-7 as the Scarlet Hawks earned the game two victory.

Senior Bryce Grathwohl got the start for the Brewers as he lasted four innings, allowing 10 hits, six runs, one walk and two strikeouts. Sophomore Pat Kerrigan took the loss as he threw 2.1 innings and gave up three hits, two runs and struck out three. Rookie Cade Terada-Herzer tossed 2.2 innings in relief while giving up two hits, two runs, two walks and struck out two.

Alec Weedman started for the Scarlet Hawks and went 2.1 innings, allowing five hits, seven runs, one walk and struck out one. Cameron Bracewell earned the win in relief as he went 6.2 innings and gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out six.

Baaki finished with two hits (two doubles) and two RBI while Murray drove in three runs and Kanellis drove in two. Bergman added two stolen bases for the Brewers. Bennitt and Sproule each had three hits for IIT while Michael Paxson and Minami added two hits as Sproule and Minami had three RBI each. 

Vassar concludes its trip to the RussMatt Invitational on Monday as they take on Central in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in Auburndale.