AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – The Union College baseball team (12-17, 4-9 Liberty League) dropped a pair of games in extra innings to Vassar College (19-13, 6-6- Liberty League) Saturday afternoon at Shuttleworth Park. Union lost game one in eight innings, 11-9, and dropped a 9-8 decision in 10 innings.
Junior Kobe Mentzer combined for a 4-for-6 day at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI while classmate Ryan Cowles scored five runs on the day.
Game One: Vassar 11, Union 9 (8 innings)
Mentzer went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. Senior Jono Santos also had a big day at the plate with four RBI and a pair scored in a game that saw him go 2-for-3. First-year Caleb Miller also had three RBI in the game.
Vassar jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the to half of the first inning. Union responded quickly with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. After a leadoff single by Cowles, Mentzer singled down the right field line to put runners on first and third. Cowles raced home on a dropped fly ball and Santos scored on an RBI single by Miller.
Union took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the third. After a pair of singles to lead off the inning, Santos doubled to center field to cut the lead to one. Miller drove Mentzer home and one batter later, first-year Liam McIlroy hit an RBI single up the middle.
Union extended the lead after back-to-back sac flies by Santos and Miller in the bottom of the fourth. Vassar plated one in the top of the fifth to make it a 7-5 game. Santos recorded his second double in the game in the sixth inning, allowing Cowles to cross home again.
Vassar tied the game at eight in the top of the seventh, plating three runs in a row to force extra innings. The Brewers added three more runs in the eighth, and Union came up short with one run in the bottom of the eighth.
Senior Jason Goldblum is tagged with the loss, pitching one inning of relief and allowed three runs on two hits and three walks. Sophomore Aidan McGee started the game and allowed five runs on nine hits while fanning six.
Game Two: Vassar 9, Union 8 (10 innings)
In a similar fashion to game one, Vassar jumped out to a lead in the first inning, scoring two runs in the first. Union responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame. Mentzer lined an RBI double down the left field line for the first run of the game. With bases loaded, McIlroy dropped a single into right field to knot the game. Junior Thomas Parisi drove in a run with an RBI single and senior JJ Milone doubled to score Parisi.
Vassar led off the second inning with a homerun to cut the lead to two runs. Union scored two more runs in the second. Sophomore Dan Sheeran scored on a balk and Mentzer crossed home on a wild pitch. The hosts extended the lead with a run in the third.
The visitors scored five unanswered runs to force extra innings again. In the top of the tenth, Marc Milano drove in the game-winning run for the Brewers.
Goldblum suffered his second loss of the season with 2.1 innings of relief, allowing two hits, one run, two walks and one strikeout. Junior Bryce Fournier earned the start and pitched six complete innings, allowing five runs on nine hits, two walks, and four strikeouts.
Union is back in action Tuesday with a nonconference tilt with Wesleyan University. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Shuttleworth Park.