AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team hosted Vassar College on Saturday in a Liberty League double-header at Shuttleworth Park. The Dutchmen and Brewers split the first two games of the four-game series with a 9-5 Union victory in game one and a 12-5 Vassar victory in game two.
           
Game 1: Union 9, Vassar 5
 
Seniors Kevin Chaimowitz, Matt Toy and William Bellamy each had two hits on the day to lead the Union offense. Chaimowitz was 2-for-4 with two walks and three RBIs, Bellamy went 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI, and Toy had two hits and drove in two runs. 
 
Union was able to use the long ball to their advantage as they sent three homers out of Shuttleworth Park. Senior Colin Kelly added to his career home run record with a two-run home run in the third inning and scored three times along with senior Jack Koch to lead Union. Seniors Chris O'Brien and William Bellamy each hit solo home runs for their first and second long balls of the year, respectively. 
 
In the top of the first inning, Vassar loaded the bases with two outs, but junior James Salemme was able to strand those three runners on base as the next batter flew out. Union used this momentum as Koch scored on a Chaimowitz two-out single in the bottom of the first. When Salemme returned to the mound, he retired Vassar in order in the second and third innings. 
 
In the bottom of the third, Union extended its lead thanks to a two-run homer by Kelly and a solo shot off the bat of O'Brien. In the top of the fourth, a three-run homer by Andrew Kanellis and narrowed Union's lead to a single run. Vassar scored two more in the top of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead, but this would prove to be the end of scoring for the Brewers. In the bottom of the fifth, senior Joey Palko and Kelly both walked and later scored on a two-run single from Toy that put Union back up 6-5. 
 
In their last at-bats in the bottom of the 6th inning, Union scored three insurance runs. Bellamy led off the inning with a home run to left center. Later in the inning, Chaimowitz doubled to left field to score Kelly and Koch for Union's eighth and ninth runs of the day. 
 
Salemme (3-1) picked up the win in game one of the double header, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits while striking out five in five innings. In relief, first-year Kyle Patlove pitched two perfect innings to pick up his first save of the season. Patlove struck out three of the six batters he faced, bringing the Union staff to eight strikeouts in the game.

Game 2: Vassar 12, Union 5
 
Game two went a little differently for Union, as the Brewers scored seven times in the seventh and eighth innings to blow open a tie game and earn a 12-5 victory.
 
Toy and first-year Sebastian Pike did the most damage at the plate for Union in game two. Toy was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Pike was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Union looked to keep their momentum going from the first game in the first inning, as sophomore Ben Mlavsky retired Vassar in order in the top of the first and Toy drove in Kelly and Koch with a line-drive single to right center, making it 2-0 in favor of the Dutchmen. However, Vassar answered with four runs (two unearned) in the top of the second to take back the lead.
 
Union got back within a run in the bottom of the second as Palko hit an RBI single that scored Koch for the second time, and eventually tied the game in the bottom of the fourth thanks to key RBI singles by Toy and Pike. However, the Union offense went dry after that, bringing the minimum 15 batters to the plate the rest of the way, as a walk and base hit were both erased on subsequent double plays. 
 
Kanellis struck again for Vassar in the seventh, hitting another three-run homer that capped a four-run inning. The Brewers added three more in the eighth inning, with Kanellis again in the middle of the action with a run-scoring single.
 
Mlavsky was given the start in game two and pitched pitched 3.2 innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs. Junior Jay Masci (0-1) picked up the loss in relief, giving up two hits and four earned runs in two innings.
 
The Dutchmen will travel to Poughkeepsie tomorrow at 1 p.m. to continue the four-game series against Vassar.