Annandale-on-Hudson, NY - The Vassar College Baseball team split the Liberty League regular season doubleheader finale on Saturday on the road against Bard as the Brewers fell 5-4 in game one before rebounding with an 11-1 victory in the nightcap to clinch a spot in the Liberty League Crossover Divisional Series for the third straight season.
Vassar's record moves to 14-17 overall and 5-9 in conference play while the Raptors move to 4-27-1 overall and 2-13 in Liberty League action.
Game 1 - Bard 5 Vassar 4
How It Happened
- Bard took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Sam Dumper led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from Rob DeBello.
- The Raptors added a run in the third after a leadoff double from Dumper and a RBI single from Debello to make it 2-0.
- Vassar put together a two-out rally in the fourth as senior Luke Barrientos and classmate Michael Lee had back-to-back singles followed by a walk drawn by senior Ricardo Reyna.
- Barrientos came across to score on a wild pitch and senior Daniel Laderman singled home Lee and Reyna to put the Brewers on top 3-2.
- Bard tied the game at three in the fifth inning on a bases-loaded walk of Jack Burcell to score Dumper.
- VC regained the lead at 4-3 in the sixth on a two-out RBI single from Laderman.
- The Raptors countered in the bottom half of the sixth with a RBI single from Dumper and a sac fly from DeBello to take a 5-4 lead.
- Vassar loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth but Bard reliever Bryant Elliott induced a fly out to give the Raptors the 5-4 victory.
For The Brewers
- Laderman went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in along with Lee adding two hits and a run scored.
- Barrientos recorded a hit and two runs scored while senior Birch Herring-Jackson tallied a hit and junior Jensen Bergman reached base three times.
- First year Zach Berner started on the mound and took a no-decision after throwing 4.1 innings and allowing six hits, three runs, one walk and struck out two.
- Junior Cade Terada-Herzer threw 2.2 scoreless innings of relief and struck out two.
- Junior Danny took the loss as he went one-plus innings, allowing two unearned runs, two hits and struck out three.
For The Raptors
- Dumper recorded a perfect 4-for-4 game with four runs scored and a RBI.
- Debello finished with a hit and three runs batted in along with Burcell adding a hit and a RBI.
- Kane Morgan earned the win on the mound as he went six innings, allowing six hits, four runs, three walks and struck out five.
- Nikhail Newman and Tom Maxwell combined for 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
- Elliott, who started Friday's game for the Raptors, picked up the save by getting the final out in the ninth.
Game 2 - VC 11 Bard 1
How It Happened
- A pitcher's duel unfolded in game two as left-hander's Charlie Lehr and sophomore Grant Maryott posted zeroes through the first five innings of play.
- Vassar broke the scoreless tie in the sixth inning as Barrientos singled with one out, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a RBI single from senior Marc Milano.
- Later in the inning, Milano came across to score on a throwing error, Reyna scored on a wild pitch and senior Bradley Markind plated first year Kyle Donlon on a two-out RBI single to go ahead 4-0.
- The Brewers broke the game open with a two-RBI triple from Reyna, who then scored on a wild pitch, to expand the lead to 7-0 in the seventh.
- Bard scratched out a run in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Jamie Fryer.
- Vassar tacked on four runs in the ninth behind RBI doubles from Milano and Donlon along with a sac fly from Herring-Jackson and a wild pitch scoring Milano.
For The Brewers
- Milano recorded two hits, three runs scored and two runs batted in while Barrientos added two hits and two runs scored.
- Reyna registered three runs scored, two RBI and a hit along with Donlon and Markind each tallying two hits.
- Maryott earned his fourth victory of the season as he went a season-long 6.2 innings, allowing three hits, one run, two walks and struck out a season-high 11 strikeouts.
- Senior Jack Blau tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and struck out three.
For The Raptors
- DeBello finished with two hits and a run scored while Mike Lynch added a hit.
- Lehr suffered the loss as he lasted 5.1 innings, giving up five hits, four runs (one earned), two walks and struck out seven.
Up Next
- Vassar will travel to the top-seed from the West Division Ithaca for the three-game Liberty League Crossover Divisional Series beginning on Friday afternoon.
- Bard plays host to New Paltz in the regular season finale on Wednesday.