Poughkeepsie, N.Y. - In the inaugural game at newly renovated Prentiss Field on the campus of Vassar College, the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team lost, 9-8, to the Brewers. Vassar freshman Mike Plude (Shelton, Conn.) provided the heroics, snapping an eighth inning tie with a two-out, opposite field single that scored the eventual winning run. The Brewers snapped a six-game losing streak, improving to 5-8 on the year. Mount Saint Mary fell to 6-14 overall.

With one out in the eighth, sophomore Ari Glantz (Cambridge, Mass.) hit a single off the pitcher's mound into center and then moved to second on a wild pitch. After a Vassar strikeout, Plude grounded through the left side, just underneath the glove of MSMC senior Brian Visconti (Newburgh, N.Y.), who was moving to his left from second base.

In the top of the ninth, senior Nick Bell (Arlington, Va.) got a pair of quick groundouts to start his third inning of work. Mount Saint Mary sophomore Greg Diamond (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) drew a walk, though, and then Visconti singled to center, moving Diamond to third. Now with the potential tying and winning runs on base, sophomore Mike Umphlett (North Stonington, Conn.) lined to third base for the final out of the contest.

Earlier in the game, the Blue Knights rallied back from an early deficit to tie the score at 8. Down 8-5 in the sixth, the Mount engineered a three-run rally all with two outs. Visconti started a string of three straight extra base hits with a triple to left center, one of his five hits on the day. Umphlett drove in Visconti with a double, and would later score on a long triple from senior Chris Schacca (Franklin Square, N.Y.). Fellow senior Anthony Forgione (Franklin Square, N.Y.) tied the score with a single to center to plate his teammate.

The Brewers had taken their lead with eight runs in the first four innings, including a three-run second. Up 2-1 at the time, the Brewers loaded the bases with a leadoff walk, a hit batsman, and an infield single. Two more hit-by-pitches scored a pair of runs and a double play plated a third, to put the Brewers up 5-1. Joe Castilla (Weston, Fla.) and Tyler Bellstrom (Townshend, Vt.) would later add RBI singles to pad the Brewers' lead.

Glantz went 3-for-4 with a pair of triples, two runs scored and thee runs batted in to lead Vassar's offense. Plude added a triple of his own in a 3-for-4 performance.

For the Blue Knights, the top four hitters combined to go 12-for-18 and scored six of the team's eight runs. Visconti went 5-for-6 with four singles and a triple, while Schacca contributed two hits and a game-high three RBIs. Umphlett was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs and Forgione was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Junior Scott Francis (Pawcatuck, Conn.) pitched four shutout innings in the middle innings to keep Mount Saint Mary in the game.

Mount Saint Mary will play their eighth game in five days on Thursday, April 10 as they host Western Connecticut in more non-conference action. The game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Delano Hitch Stadium in Newburgh.