SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team opened Liberty League play with an 11-9 win over Vassar College on Friday afternoon at Central Park A Diamond.

Senior Kobe Mentzer went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Sophomore Andrew Keaveney also went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, three RBIs, and a run scored.

Union opened the scoring in the first inning. The Garnet Chargers loaded the bases and sophomore Caleb Miller hit a sac fly to right field and senior Thomas Parisi raced home. Vassar responded in top of the second. Back-to-back RBI singles gave the Brewers a one-run lead.

The Garnet Chargers tacked on three runs in the third inning to regain the lead. Mentzer drew a leadoff walk and back-to-back doubles by Keaveney and Miller put Union up by one run. Later in the frame, Miller capitalized on a wild pitch to score from third.

Union scored two more in the fourth to extend the lead by four. A fielder's choice by Miller scored sophomore Liam McIlroy from third and Mentzer took advantage of a throwing error to score.

The Brewers struck back with four runs in the seventh inning to knot the game at six. The tie was short-lived as Union scored five in the bottom half of the frame. After loading the bases, junior Dan Sheeran hit a fielder's choice to score Miller. An error on the play allowed junior Kyle Zaslaw to score and put runners on the corners. A sac bunt by senior Ryan Cowles allowed junior Nico Lambros to cross home. Keaveney closed out the scoring with his second double of the game for the final two runs for the hosts.

Junior Chris Suter started for the Garnet Chargers and pitched 6.2 innings with six runs on 10 hits and two strikeouts. First-year Garrick Godin recorded the final out in the frame. Junior Aidan McGee pitched a scoreless eighth inning with one hit and one strikeout. Junior Alex Erickson finished the game with three runs on two hits in the ninth.

Union closes out the series with the Brewers tomorrow with a doubleheader in Poughkeepsie beginning at noon.