Newburgh, N.Y. - Despite rallying for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team lost to Vassar College, 6-5, in the home opener for the Blue Knights at Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh. MSMC dropped to 1-6 overall while Vassar improved to 4-2.
Trailing 6-2 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, freshman pinch-hitter Louis Peisel (Brewster, N.Y.) singled through the left side. Senior B.J. Masopust (Wallkill, N.Y.) drew a walk and senior Brian Visconti (Newburgh, N.Y.) followed with a single to load the bases. Senior Chris Schacca (Franklin, N.Y.) lined a single to left field, scoring Peisel and cutting the deficit to three. Masopust scored on a wild pitch to make the score 6-4, and then after senior Anthony Forgione (Franklin Square, N.Y.) drew a walk, Visconti also scored on a wild pitch.
With just one out and now only a one run lead, Vassar called on senior Mike Murn (Huntington, N.Y.) to close out the Blue Knights. Murn induced a slow dribbler in front of the plate which freshman catcher Mike Plude (Shelton, Conn.) took care of for the second out. The senior pitcher then struck out the final hitter of the game to preserve the victory for the Brewers.
The big inning for the Brewers came in the fifth. With runners on second and third, sophomore Ari Glantz (Cambridge, Mass.) drove a double into the right-center field gap to give Vassar their first lead of the game, 3-2. Murn then singled to right field, driving in Glantz. As the next batter, Plude launched the first pitch of his at-bat over the right fielder's head for an RBI triple.
The Blue Knights were first to score, pushing across two in the second inning. Masopust lined a two-out single into center field to drive in runners from second and third.
Vassar's Glantz was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. No one had more than one hit for the Blue Knights, as they managed only six hits as a team, and only three before the ninth inning.
Freshman Jeremy Pollack (Mililani, Hawaii) picked up the win for the Brewers while sophomore Chris Gage (Saugerties, N.Y.) took the loss for the Blue Knights. Murn earned a save for his efforts in the ninth.
The Blue Knights open their Skyline Conference season on Saturday with a trip to Purchase College. The first game of a double-header will start at noon. The Mount continues Skyline play on Sunday as they host Maritime in a double-header than also begins at noon. Vassar opens their Liberty League season this weekend with home-and-home double-headers against RPI. Both double-headers will start at 1:00 p.m., with Saturday's games at RPI and Sunday's games hosted by Vassar at Marist College.
