Vassar Baseball Finishes Weekend With Split at Union

AMSTERDAM – The Vassar College baseball team traveled to Union College for the second of two Liberty League doubleheaders in as many days, earning a second split on the weekend with a 9-1 win in game one before falling in game two 8-1. Vassar moved to 13-20 on the year overall, while pulling to 7-13 in Liberty League action.

Game 1: Vassar 9, Union 1
The Brewers rolled to a 9-1 in the first of two games Saturday at Suttleworth Park, scoring the first seven runs in a decisive Liberty League victory.

Vassar got on the board in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs to take a 3-0 lead. The rally started with a Matt Swartz single, who later came around to score on an RBI single up the middle by Jason Salerno. Two batters later, junior Matt Martino drove in both Salerno and Daniel Bonfiglio.

VC would add to its lead with two more in the bottom of the fourth, as Salerno singled in two runs to plate Swartz and Robert Pinataro, both of whom singled to get the frame going.

Vassar continued to pour on the runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Pinataro scored Sam Brinster after the freshman tripled to start the inning. Pinataro would come around to make it 7-0 on a two-out error by Union.

The Dutchmen scored their only run of the contest in the top of the sixth, but Vassar responded with two runs of its own, as Martino and Taylor Smach went back-to-back to start the inning. That would be plenty of scoring for Vassar, as Brinster allowed only four hits over his four innings. Alex Hartnett came on to toss 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, while Matt McGannon finished things off with 2.2 innings of work while surrendering two hits.

Martino finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Pinataro and Schwartz were each 2-for-4 with two runs. Salerno was 2-for-4 as well with a game-high four RBI and Brinster tallied two hits in four at-bats, scoring twice.

Game 2: Union 8, Vassar 1
Union (14-12, 10-6 Liberty League) scored seven runs in the first three innings, as the Dutchmen salvaged a series split with the game two win.

Vassar’s lone run in the second game of the day came on a solo blast by Pinataro to center field. The Brewers finished with seven hits, led by Bryan Rubin and Bonfiglio, each of whom were 2-for-3 on the day. Sophomore Gunnar Wildercrantz and Martino each had hits as well.

Junior Jake Silver tossed two perfect innings of relief, while Hawkins Hodges also allowed just one hit and struck out one in his appearance.

Vassar will take on New Paltz Wednesday afternoon in the final home game of the 2019 season, at 4 p.m. on Prentiss Field.