POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Vassar College Baseball team slugged out 17 hits on Friday afternoon as the Brewers defeated Bard 14-5 in the Liberty League opener. Junior
Ty Murray finished the day with four hits and five RBI as Vassar improves to 10-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play while the Raptors fall to 2-6 and 0-1 in conference action.
Vassar opened up the first inning with a four-spot as sophomore
Jaden Millstein led off with single and was driven in by senior
Andrew Kanellis' double off the third base bag. Freshman
Jensen Bergman's RBI groundout plated Kanellis and then Murray singled through the middle to drive in two to take a 4-0 lead after one.
In the third, senior
Adam Talwalkar blasted his second home run of the season along with Murray's RBI double down the right field line to push the lead to six. Sophomore
Birch Herring-Jackson singled through the left side to score Bergman followed by a run-scoring fielder's choice from Millstein to hold a 8-0 lead after three.
Bard answered in the top of the fourth with Jack Williamson scoring on a VC error and then the Raptors added two in the fifth on a RBI groundout by Michael Kurlan and Mike Lynch scoring on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 8-3.
The Brewers had another big inning in the sixth as Murray doubled home junior
Reid Lapekas followed by a sacrifice fly from senior
Alex Warren to go ahead 10-3. Millstein then doubled down the right field line to score Murray and a sac fly from sophomore
Ricardo Reyna put Vassar ahead 12-3 after six complete.
Bard scratched out a run in the seventh on wild pitch before the Brewers answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning on a passed ball and a RBI single from Murray. The Raptors added a run in the ninth on a RBI infield single from Bryant Elliott for the final score of 14-5.
Senior
Ryan Harris earned his second win of the season for Vassar as he went six innings, allowing three hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and struck out four. Sophomore
Pat Kerrigan tossed two innings of relief and gave up one unearned run followed by senior
Zach Magee giving up one run and striking out two.
Andrew Love took the loss for Bard as he lasted 5.1 innings and gave up 14 hits, 12 runs, one walk and struck out two. Murphy Foss threw 2.2 innings in relief and allowed three hits, two runs (one earned), three walks and struck out one.
Murray finished 4-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored for the Brewers while Lapekas went 3-for-4 with four runs scored. Talwalkar added two hits (including a homer), three runs scored and a RBI along with two hits from Kanellis, Millstein and Bergman. Six different players had a hit for Bard while Elliott and Kurlan each drove home a run.
Vassar will travel to Bard on Sunday afternoon for a doubleheader with the Raptors beginning at 12:00 p.m.
