POUGHKEEPSIE, NY -- The Union College baseball team recorded 19 hits, including five from freshman first baseman Colin McKelligan (Canton, MA/ Salisbury School) to take the opening game, 11-8, against host Vassar in a baseball doubleheader held at Marist's McCann field. In the second game, the Dutchmen overcame a strong performance from Vassar starter Brian Sciubba to win, 6-3, in a game shortened to seven and a half innings by darkness.
Tomorrow's scheduled doubleheader between the two teams has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
In game one, Union righthander
John Moore (Westport, MA/ Moses Brown) relieved
Matt Sheehan (Lexington, MA/ Belmont Hill) in the sixth, pitching his way out of a jam in the frame. He then loaded the bases to start the bottom of the seventh, but stranded all three, getting a strikeout and a pair of flyball outs to preserve the lead. Moore earned his first save of the season in two innings of work, allowing just one hit. The Brewers, who entered the inning down 11-8, had gotten an error, hit batter, and bunt single to start the inning.
Vassar had rallied from an 8-2 deficit after four innings with three runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. With just two hits in both innings, the Brewers capitalized on several Union miscues, three walks, and a hit batter. Tyler Bellstrom had a run-scoring single in the fifth; Devon Luongo and Jon Mandel each had an RBI single in the sixth.
The Dutchmen started their scoring early, getting four runs in the first inning. With two outs and runners on first and second,
Zach Tillo (Lancaster, MA/Exeter) beat out an infield single. The Brewers lost control of the ball after the play, allowing both runners to score. A double and another error added another two unearned runs against Vassar starter Adam Gallari, who went 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs—four earned—and 11 hits. He struck out one and walked one.
Union starter Josh McKelligan (Canton, MA/Salisbury) went five innings in the victory, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five.
Colin McKelligan paced the Dutchmen offense with a 5-for-5 performance. He scored twice and drove in one. Tillo went 2-for-4 and scored three times.
For the Brewers, the top three hitters of Luongo, Marc, and Mandel combined for six hits and scored six of the team's eight runs.
After scoring just an unearned run against Sciubba over the first six innings, Union broke through in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead over the Brewers. The first two Dutchmen reached to start the inning, and they soon moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Junior
Scott Carroll (Scituate, MA/Scituate) drove in both runs with a line drive double to right center to tie the score. Carroll scored the eventual winning run on a ground ball from senior
Kyle Murphy (Plymouth, MA/Philips Academy) that bounced through the right side.
Pat Wilson (Cos Cob, CT/Greewich) followed up with an RBI triple, and he would later score himself on a single.
The Dutchmen tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth, taking advantage of two Vassar errors.
Vassar took a 3-0 lead in the third, with Luongo, Ramos, and Mandel each getting three straight one-out singles. Luongo scored on Mandel's single, while the latter two each ran home on wild pitches.
Sciubba pitched 6 1/3 innings for the Brewers, allowing four runs—three earned. He allowed five hits and a walk while striking out two.
In his third complete-game win of the season, Union starter Eric Giavonnone (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) allowed five hits and three runs while striking out seven in seven innings.
Carroll went 2-for-4 for the Dutchmen and recorded a game-high three runs batted in.
Union is back in action on Tuesday, April 17 in a 4 p.m. game against SUNY Oneonta at Buck Ewing Field.
