Brewers Take Down #RV/25 Ithaca Twice

By Steven Merritt

CORTLAND – The Vassar College Baseball team slugged its way to a crossover Liberty League doubleheader over #RV/25 Ithaca on Friday evening at the Gutchess Sports Complex in Cortland. The Brewers triumphed 16-9 in the first game, led by two homers and seven runs batted in from senior Jack Silvera, and completed the sweep with a 10-7 victory in game two.

Vassar’s record improves to 8-15 overall and 5-6 (3-6 East) in the Liberty League while the Bombers drop to 17-7 and 7-3 (7-1 West) in conference action.

Game One – VASSAR 16 ITHACA 9 (7 inn.)
Vassar got on the board in the second as junior Michael Lee blasted an opposite field solo homer.

The Brewers expanding the lead to 4-0 after sophomore Jensen Bergman was hit by a pitch and senior Reid Lapekas laid down a bunt single followed by Silvera lifting a three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning.

Ithaca cut the lead in half in the fourth when Matt Curtis drove in Camden Laney and Ryan Laubscher, who both reached on singles, to make it 4-2 after four.

The Bombers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth as a two run single from Curtis tied it at four and bases loaded walks to Nicholas Cutaia, Ethan Daddabbo and Riley Brawdy put Ithaca ahead 7-4.

Vassar answered with five runs in the sixth as junior Marc Milano singled home Silvera and junior Daniel Laderman scored on an error to cut the lead to one. Sophomore Taison Jemison’s RBI single tied the game at seven followed by junior Ricardo Reyna’s safety squeeze bunt giving the Brewers the lead. Bergman’s RBI single scored pinch-runner first year Will Darrell to take a 9-7 lead.

Ithaca tied the game at nine in the sixth as Curtis knocked in another run on a ground-rule double followed by an infield single from Cutaia that knotted the game at nine.

Vassar exploded for seven runs in the seventh as junior Birch Herring-Jackson put Vassar ahead 10-9 followed by a bases loaded walk from Bergman. Silvera broke the game wide open with his second home run of the day, a grand slam to center field to give Vassar the 16-9 final lead.

For The Brewers
Silvera capped his monster day with two homers, three runs scored and a career-high seven runs batted in.

Lapekas recorded a 4-for-5 night with two runs scored while Bergman finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI.

M. Lee registered a 3-for-3 game with a homer while Milano and Jemison each recorded two hits.

Senior Michael Came took a no-decision as he went 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits, seven runs, one walk and struck out three.

Junior Jack Blau earned the win in relief as he tossed the final 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

For The Bombers
Curtis finished the night 3-for-4 with five runs batted in while Laubscher added three hits and two runs scored.

Colin Shashaty tallied two hits along with Cutaia knocked in a pair of runs.
Colin Leyner earned the start as he took a no-decision, going 5.1 innings, allowing 10 hits, eight runs and striking out three.

Conor Burns took the loss as he went 1.1 innings, giving up five hits, six runs (five earned), four walks and struck out one.

Game Two – VASSAR 7 ITHACA 1 (7 inn.)
Vassar got on the board with three runs in the third inning as Jemison and Reyna were both hit by a pitch. After advancing to second and third with two outs, Herring-Jackson and Reyna scored on an Ithaca error to make it 2-0. Silvera cashed in on another RBI with a single to right center to make it 3-0.

The Brewers expanded the lead to seven in the fourth as M. Lee and Milano singled to open the inning and Jemison knocked in M. Lee on a double to right. Reyna plated Milano on a sacrifice fly and Herring-Jackson and senior Ty Murray both scored on a throwing error to make it 7-0.

Ithaca tallied a run in the bottom of the fourth as Laney tripled to leadoff the inning and scored on a single from Ethan McDonough.

Vassar tacked on two runs in the fifth on a two RBI double from Murray and Silvera added another run in the sixth on a double scoring Lapekas.

The Bombers put up four runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 10-5 on a RBI single from Cutaia and a run-scoring groundout from Tyler Pugliese.

Collin Feeney’s two RBI double with two outs trimmed the lead to three in the seventh but junior Luke Barrientos got an inning ending strikeout to clinch the sweep.

For The Brewers
Silvera added two more hits and two more runs batted in while M. Lee recorded two hits and two runs scored.

Reyna knocked in two runs along with Milano, Jemison and Lapekas tallying one hit each.

Junior Pat Kerrigan earned the victory on the mound as he tossed five innings, allowing four hits, four runs, four walks and struck out nine.

Barrientos struck out four in two innings of relief and allowed three runs (two earned).

For The Bombers
Laney reached base four times and tallied three runs scored and two hits.

Cutaia and Curtis each added two hits while Feeney drove in two runs and McDonough drove in one.

Jack Picozzi took the loss as he went 3.1 innings, allowing four hits, seven runs (two earned), two walks and struck out six.