Brewers Bats Come Alive in Doubleheader

AUBURNDALE, FL – The Vassar College baseball team combined for 32 hits over the non-conference doubleheader against Plattsburgh State, taking the first game 13-3 before falling in the nightcap 9-6.

Game 1 – Vassar 13, Plattsburgh 3

The Brewers started the afternoon with four runs in the top of the first inning, and never looked back in posting 16 hits and 13 runs in a win over the Cardinals. The game was highlighted by a pair of home runs, including the first career bomb by senior Brooks English.

In the opening frame, Nick Johnson singled in the first run of the game for the Brewers to score Denis Shanagher from third. One batter later, Wuenschell stepped up and delivered a three-run double over the left fielder’s head to give VC an early 4-0 lead.

The Cardinals battled back with three runs over the next couple of innings to trim the Vassar edge to 4-3 going into the top of the fourth. VC added to its lead in the fourth, as Brad Kendall doubled off the right field wall and was scored on a single by English to left field. Bobby Kinne followed with a RBI single of his own, plating Shanagher, to take a 6-3 lead.

Vassar added another run in the fifth inning on a Dakota Sagnelli run-scoring single, and then the Brewers posted two more runs in the sixth on a RBI double by Eric Strickland and another RBI knock by Sagnelli.

In the seventh, VC bolstered its lead on two big swings, as English blasted a 3-2 slider over the right field wall to make the score 12-3. Kinne nearly went back-to-back but his effort was caught at the wall, but Johnson answered with his third career homerun on a no-doubter to right field.

Johnson finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored, and English added with a team-best four RBI along with a 2-for-4 contest. Seven players for Vassar had two or more hits, as Wuenschell posted two doubles, and Shanagher chalked up three runs along with two singles. Kendall, Sagnelli and Kinne also finished with two hits apiece.

The 16 hits and 13 runs were plenty for Vassar College starting pitcher Adam Erkis, who allowed no earned runs and six hits over six innings, striking out six batters. Junior Robert Winkelmann came out of the pen and got the last three outs to close out the win for VC.

Game 2 – Plattsburgh 9, Vassar 6

The Cardinals (2-7) jumped out in front early in the second game, scoring two runs in the top of the first, highlighted by a T.J. Montalbano doubled down the left field line. Vassar cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning, as Johnson singled in Kinne who reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the frame.

The Brewer would tie the game in the bottom of the third on RBIs by Kinne and Johnson, but Plattsburgh answered with three runs in the top half of the fourth to take a 6-3 advantage. English posted another RBI in the fourth with a two-out single to score Matt Schwartz, who had earlier singled to left field with one out.

That was as close as Vassar would get though, as the Cardinals scored one in the sixth and two in the seventh to take a 9-5 lead. The Brewers tried to rally in the seventh, scoring two, but the comeback was thwarted as a VC runner was thrown out at third on a single to end the game.

English continued his hot afternoon with three hits in as many at bats, walking once, while Johnson was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Schwartz, seeing his first action as a Brewer, was 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a double and was intentionally walked in his third plate appearance.

Freshman Joe Conti went 4.2 innings in his first collegiate start, allowing three earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts.

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