Vassar Brewers Split Games With Dutchmen

AMSTERDAM – The Vassar baseball team fell 5-9 in the first game but bounced back with a 12-5 victory in the second to split with Union on Saturday afternoon. The Brewers improve to 4-10 overall with a 3-7 mark in Liberty League play. Union now moves to 7-5 and 5-3 in the conference.

Vassar played from behind for most of game one until Andrew Kanellis launched a three-RBI home run to left-center field to cut the Dutchmen lead to 3-4. The Brewers held the Dutchmen scoreless in the bottom of the fourth to keep it a one-score game. Vassar tacked on two more runs in the fifth to take its first lead in their turn to bat. After two straight flyouts, Alex Warren doubled to left-center, and then Ezra Caspi singled for the RBI. An error by the centerfielder allowed Caspi to reach home.

Unfortunately, the Dutchmen answered right away with two runs of their own and then three more in the sixth inning. Vassar had three consecutive outs in the seventh, preventing the late comeback.

Caspi led the team with two runs and also had a hit and an RBI. Warren finished with a team-high two hits, while Kanellis topped the Brewers with three RBI. Cole Eggleston pitched 3.0 innings with four strikeouts and four hits. Dawson Dullnig (0-2) went 2.0 innings and had one strikeout.

For Union, William Bellamy, Kevin Chaimowitz, and Matt Toy had two hits each, while Chaimowitz led the Dutchmen with three RBI. Colin Kelly and Jack Koch also added three runs apiece. James Salemme (3-1) picked up the win and went 5.0 innings with five strikeouts.

The Brewer bats heated up in game two for 12 total hits, with Vassar also took advantage of five Union errors. After falling 0-2 following the first frame, the Brewers scored four times in the second. A Kanellis single brought Caspi home, and senior Cameron Skudin singled to the right side to give Michael Came the chance to reach home. Vassar scored the next two at-bats. First, when Reid Lapekas was hit by a pitch to force the loaded bases to advance, Gunnar Widercrantz scored following a Jaden Millstein ground out to first.

Union kept it a one-run game when Joey Palko singled for an RBI at the bottom of the second. Neither side got on the board in the third, but the Brewers could go ahead 5-3 in the fourth. The Dutchmen went on to tie 5-5 at the bottom of the fourth after two straight runs, and it was not until the seventh that Vassar was able to pull away. After Came singled for an RBI, Kanellis hit his second home run of the day to add on three RBI. The Brewers then added three more runs in the eighth to lead by seven.

With the Dutchmen up to bat, Vassar prevented a late rally by using a double play to end the eighth inning. Vassar did not get much going in the ninth, but some solid defense closed out for the win. Came grounded out the first Union batter and then struck out the next. The third batter then grounded out to the third base.

Kanellis led the team with five RBI, three hits, and three runs, while Millstein, Warren, and Came each had two hits. Millstein also added three runs. Ryan Harris (1-0) pitched 5.0 innings and posted a 3.60 ERA with three strikeouts.