Game 1 | Game 2

SCHENECTADY, NY - The Union College baseball team homered four times in its 14-4, 6-4 doubleheader sweep of Vassar on Saturday at Central Park Diamond C. The Dutchmen went yard a season-high three times during the second game and got solid pitching efforts from senior Matt Sheehan and junior Colin McKelligan.

Union improves to 12-19 overall and 6-13 in the Liberty League, while Vassar goes to 5-18 and 2-20 in the conference.

During game one, freshman rightfielder Nicholas Ranalli led the way with a career-high five RBI. He hit a three-run shot and added two RBI while going 1-for-4. Senior third baseman Shawn Johnston went 2-for-3 with three RBI and senior catcher Ryan Bowes went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

In all the Dutchmen posted 14 hits from eight different players.

Vassar was led by 2-for-3 performances from shortstop Ari Glantz and right fielder Devon Luongo. Glantz had and RBI and a run scored, while Luongo had an RBI. cather Sal Costanzo had the teams third RBI as he went 1-for-4.

Sheehan threw all seven innings for Union, whiffing seven batters for his second victory of the season. John MacGregor threw 4.2 innings for Vassar, striking out four. He was given the loss.

The lead changed hands three times during the first four innings before Union grabbed the advantage for good in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and the bases loaded, head coach Dave Dagostino elected to pinch hit with Johnston. The move paid dividends as the senior singled through the right side to score two and give Union a 5-4 lead.

Union added three runs in the fifth and six in the sixth.

During game two, sophomore leftfielder Jarid Hotaling went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Junior second baseman Andy Brown was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Johnston went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

Johnston joined senior right fielder Paul Mene and sophomore first baseman Dane Flavin with home runs.

Vassar was led by a 1-for-3, two RBI performance by third baseman Sal Costanzo. Luongo was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

McKelligan went eight innings, striking out four, before being replaced by sophomore Jeremy LeFebvre, who earned his first save of the year.

Daniel Berkowitz threw 7.1 innings and struck out three. Zachary Prudoff supplied two-thirds innings of relief.

The game was tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth, but home runs by Johnston and Mene gave Union a 3-2 lead.

Vassar would pull within one in the sixth, seventh and eighth, but Union had one-run answers in the bottom half of each of those innings.

The two teams will close out the 2009 season against each other with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 3 at Noon at Vassar.